


I Feel We're Close Enough

by samann98



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Awkward Derek, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Jock Stiles, M/M, Oblivious Derek, Pining Derek, Sexual Content, no Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-25
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 17:21:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 55,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2356391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samann98/pseuds/samann98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek's two friends share a look and even Boyd can’t muster up the strength to deal with his pathetic attempt at denial.  “Come on now, Derek, seriously?  We know about you and Stiles.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we know you two are fuck buddies,” Erica adds with a smirk, and Derek buries his head in his hands. 	</p>
<p>“That’s not exactly the terminology I would use,” he murmurs, his whole face burning with embarrassment.  </p>
<p>“How else would you describe having sex with your best friend who has no clue you’re in love with him?” Boyd asks, actually sounding curious about his answer.</p>
<p>Derek lifts his head, opens his mouth to reply, but only ends up making a few ridiculous noises that can’t pass for actual words.  When Derek finally just throws his hands up in defeat, admitting, “Okay, fine, that’s exactly how you’d describe it,” Erica and Boyd shake their heads at him.</p>
<p>Or the one in which Derek and Stiles are childhood friends, their freshman year of high school Derek makes the craziest suggestion ever, and four years later Stiles decides to take him up on it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Derek Should Really Learn to Keep His Mouth Shut

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this self-indulgent mess. Initially this was just going to stay between me, myself, and I but I just said what the hell and published it so I can only apologize in advance. The title is a lyric from "Latch" by Disclosure. All grammar and spelling errors are mine.

_September 2010_

 

Fourteen year-old Derek Hale glances up from his copy of _The Mill on the Floss_ to look over at Stiles Stilinski, his lips quirking up in a smile when Stiles runs a hand over his hair, erasing furiously at his algebra homework.

The Hale and Stilinski families have known each other for years, and the two boys have been best friends since the first time Talia Hale brought little Derek to visit Claudia Stilinski and her baby boy, Stiles. After that first playdate, Derek and Stiles became attached at the hip. They grew up together, bonding over their love of cartoons, superheroes, and video games.

The pair has gone through everything together: broken arms, first crushes, getting bullied because they’re both kind of awkward and geeky, everything. Now they’re fourteen and started high school two weeks ago, and it’s been an interesting transition for both of them.

They only have two classes and, thankfully, lunch together, but their lockers are “a million miles away from each other” (Stiles’ words). It’s always just been the two of them against the world, but high school has forced the pair out of their safe Stiles/Derek bubble, and now they have to interact with other people which has been a little difficult since they’re not exactly the most popular people in their freshman class.

Stiles is lanky, all limbs with a buzz cut and whiskey-colored eyes. Derek’s thin, not as skinny as Stiles though; his eyesight’s horrible so he’s stuck with a pair of unattractive horn-rimmed glasses that hide his green eyes because he’s too lazy to get contacts. Neither of them has gotten involved in any extra-curricular activities, so they’re practically invisible in the halls of Beacon Hills’ High School.

Derek and Stiles are currently sitting in Derek’s kitchen on a Monday afternoon. They’re supposed to be doing homework, but Stiles gets distracted easily, so he sits pouting and sighing until Derek can’t pretend he hasn’t read the same sentence twelve times in a row, rolls his eyes, and puts his book down.

“I feel like you’re trying to get my attention,” Derek jokes, and Stiles releases a long sigh.

He complains, “I’m _bored_.”

“Do your homework,” Derek suggests, pointing to Stiles’ textbook, causing the young man to frown.

He holds up his notebook, retorting, “ _I am_. That’s why I’m _bored_. Can’t we take a break or something? Maybe go out for a little while, _please_?”

Stiles pokes out his lip, his amber eyes going all soft and sad, and Derek absolutely hates it because Stiles knows how easily he gives in to him, how Derek will do just about anything for him because he lo…because they’re best friends.

Derek shakes his head. “You just want to go out because you overheard Jackson Whittemore telling Danny Mahealani that he and his dumb group of friends, including that girl Lydia Martin you love so much, were going out for pizza.”

On their first day at Beacon Hills’ High, Stiles and Derek were standing at his locker discussing what new television shows to start watching when a beautiful girl with strawberry blonde hair walked past. She was so busy talking to a gorgeous brunette with dimples that she didn’t even notice the way Stiles gawked at her.

“I think I’m in love,” Stiles said as he watched the girl, who he later found out was named Lydia, turn the corner with her friend. Derek reached into his locker to grab his biology textbook with a scowl, choosing not to comment on his friend’s sudden attraction to Lydia Martin.

Lydia and Jackson are an item, have been since the third grade. Stiles knows this and yet he still insists on panting after the young woman like a dog in heat. Derek wishes Stiles would get over her, move on to someone more attainable, someone who actually knows he exists, someone who’d appreciate him, someone like…

Stiles interrupts Derek’s thoughts with a whine. “Come on, Derek, _please_? This might be my chance to finally talk to the love of my life.”

“You’ve known her for two weeks!” Derek exclaims before he can stop himself. “How could she possibly be the love of your life?”

The young man sighs dreamily, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he answers, “Lydia’s brilliant, gorgeous, and…”

“Doesn’t even know you two are on the same planet,” Derek reminds him.

“ _Yes_ ,” Stiles admits, “but I just need her to notice me one time, and I _know_ she’d fall for me too. So, please, Derek, do this for me. Support me in my endeavor to finally find true love.”

Derek rolls his eyes. “You’re so dramatic.” Stiles juts out his bottom lip again, whimpering pathetically, and Derek knows he’s a goner. He gives in without much of a fight, throwing his hands up in resigned fashion. “ _Fine_ , we can go.”

Stiles cheers but Derek quickly adds, “But after thirty minutes if she still hasn’t given you the time of day, we’re taking our pizza and leaving.”

The young man’s face lights up at these words and he questions, “Aww, you’re buying me pizza? What kind?”

“I never said I was buying you pizza,” Derek retorts with folded arms.

Stiles points out, “You said _our_ pizza which leads me to believe you’re buying. Pepperoni with extra cheese, please.”

He grins at him, and Derek feels his face growing warm just from the pleasant smile on Stiles’ face. Derek’s utterly hopeless when it comes to his best friend, always has been, always will be.

“Yeah, okay,” Derek reluctantly agrees. Stiles beams at him before hopping out of his chair and grabbing Derek’s hand, pulling him out of his seat. He holds back though, stopping Stiles from dragging him any further. “Whoa, wait, we’re leaving now?”

“Jackson said they were going at five and it’s already a quarter to. Let’s go!” He exclaims, leading the way out of the kitchen, tugging a reluctant Derek along with him.

The duo passes Derek’s older sister, Laura, on the way out. Laura’s a senior with enough credits to graduate a year early, but she opted not to, claiming she wanted to enjoy a full high school experience. Derek knows the truth though; she just wants to slack off for an extra year before starting college next fall.

“Where are you two going?” Laura asks, glancing up from her spot on the living room couch where she’s sitting scrolling through something on her iPad.

Her gaze drops to their hands and she smirks at Derek, who tries his hardest not to flush every imaginable hue of red. Stiles, of course, is oblivious to how they must look, rushing out the door together holding hands, and Derek doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry about that.

“Actually, I don’t think I need to know,” she says, eyes returning to her tablet but the smile remains on her face. “Have fun, boys…but not too much fun.”

“See ya, Laura.” Stiles waves at her before pulling Derek with him to the door. Laura cocks an eyebrow at him in question, but he just shakes his head in response and lets Stiles lead them outside to their bikes.

The trip to the pizzeria takes about ten minutes; Stiles spends the entire time vividly describing Lydia’s eyes while Derek considers pedaling headfirst into a tree just to avoid having to hear him talk about his dream girl.

When they arrive at _Tony’s_ , the place is relatively empty. They grab a booth near the back and sit down. Stiles takes the seat facing the door, watching it intently so he can see the exact moment when Lydia arrives. Derek, meanwhile, glances out the window, chin resting in the palm of his hand while he fiddles with the red pepper and parmesan shakers sitting on the table.

Stiles is babbling on about the color of Lydia’s hair and all Derek can do is sit there and nod even though the last thing he wants is to listen to Stiles swoon over her.

“So, have you even thought about what you’re actually going to say to Lydia?” Derek questions, interrupting Stiles’ tangent. “Or are you planning to just walk over and gape at her the whole time?”

He retorts, “I’m going to introduce myself, remind her that we have three classes together.”

Derek lifts an eyebrow. “ _And_?”

Stiles visibly panics for a moment, the realization that he hasn’t even considered what he’s going to talk about if he does get the opportunity to speak to Lydia hitting him like a Mack truck.

He regains his confidence though, replying, “ _And_ …I’ll figure it out.”

Derek sighs. “Stiles, I know you think you’re in love despite the fact you’ve never even had a conversation with Lydia, but maybe you should reconsider this whole plan. I mean, she doesn’t seem like the type to be into _Pixar_ movies and ‘90s Saturday morning cartoons.”

“She could’ve watched _Recess_ ,” Stiles murmurs, and Derek shakes his head.

“Stiles—”

“You don’t even know her,” he exclaims, cutting across Derek before he can finish his thought.

“Neither do you.”

“Well, that’s the point. I want to get to know her. I want to know what her favorite food is, her favorite movie, if she likes walks on the beach or going to art galleries or both.  I want to know if she has any siblings or if she’s an only child like me. I want to know everything.”

“But what if Lydia doesn’t want to know everything about you?” Derek inquires, catching Stiles by surprise. “Maybe she doesn’t want to know that you’d be happy eating curly fries for the rest of your life or that your favorite movie is _The Matrix_ and that you refuse to acknowledge they made two more movies after the first one.”

“They didn’t make any sequels to _The Matrix_ ,” Stiles insists, causing Derek to chuckle softly.

He gazes at him fondly, knowing he should probably end this conversation, but Derek can’t seem to stop his mouth from running about Stiles and all of his quirks. If given the opportunity, Derek could go on and on about Stiles; it’s completely ridiculous how many random details he knows about him.

“Lydia might not want to know that you cry like a baby at the end of _Meet the Robinsons_ or that you’re scared of thunderstorms or that you secretly read _Twilight_ fan fiction for some inexplicable reason.”

“Hey, some people are really good at creating stories using those characters,” Stiles argues. “Stephanie Meyer is not one of those people though.”

They both laugh until Derek’s expression turns serious and he inquires, “What are you going to do if Lydia doesn’t want to get to know you, if she doesn’t care about you, if she doesn’t appreciate the amazingly, wonderful person you are?”

Stiles’ eyes widen at his words, and Derek’s fairly certain his face is flushed. He can’t believe he said all of that, knows he’ll probably end up regretting it, but he can’t take it back now. Stiles stares at him strangely for a moment but then surprises Derek by smiling widely.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?”

“What?” Derek questions in a flat voice.

“You’re worried that when Lydia falls for me I’ll start spending all my time with her and forget about you.”

“What,” Derek repeats in the same tone though this time not as a question.

Stiles chuckles lightly as he says, “It’s okay, Derek, once Lydia and I get together I’m sure we can all come to some sort of agreement, schedule out my time so that I can see both of you and then no one feels left out.”

“ _Wow_ , you’re a saint.”

“I try,” Stiles says with a shrug. “You know you’re my best friend, right?” He adds, voice suddenly going soft. “Nothing’s going to change that.”

“ _Damn_ , and I’ve been working so hard to get rid of you,” Derek jokes, hoping to lighten the mood between them, but Stiles shakes his head with a frown.

“I’m being serious for once. You’re important to me, Derek.”

Derek ducks his head, face burning, though he isn’t sure why. It’s not like he doesn’t know Stiles considers him his best friend and that they care about each other. It’s been obvious since the first day they met and became close. But maybe actually hearing the words aloud is what almost does him in, almost causes Derek to blurt out three simple words that would radically change his and Stiles’ friendship forever. But he manages to stop himself from saying anything completely mortifying; Laura would probably call him a coward.

“You…You’re…You’re important…to me too,” he stammers, and Stiles let out a loud laugh at Derek’s awkward attempt to convey his feelings to him.

“Don’t hurt yourself with all that affection you’re doling out, dude. It’s practically overwhelming me.”

“I thought you were being serious,” Derek huffs, crossing his arms.

“I am,” Stiles retorts. “ _You’re_ the one acting like it physically pains you to admit that you care about me.”

“Why are we even talking about this anyway?” Derek questions, making a feeble attempt to change the subject. “Your number one priority is Lydia, right?”

Stiles’ eyebrows furrow at his inquiry, and he stares at him in this accusatory way that makes Derek more than a little anxious. Derek runs a hand over the back of his neck, feels himself wilting under Stiles’ gaze. In about five more seconds, Derek’s liable to just bolt out of the restaurant and never look back.

It’s too late for that option though because Stiles opens his mouth to say something. He makes a noise as if he’s about to speak but then decides against it. Derek wonders why until he notices Stiles’ gaze has left him and is now concentrated on something behind him.

Derek turns around in his seat to glance over the top of the booth; Lydia, Jackson, Danny, the brunette with the dimples who he thinks is named Allison, and a dark-haired guy he hears Allison call Scott, enter _Tony’s_ conversing and laughing together. They sit down in a large circular booth near them, and a determined expression covers Stiles face as he stands up from his seat and starts to make his way over to their table.

Derek stops him before he can get very far, grabbing hold of his arm to keep him from moving. “What are you doing?”

“Going over to say hi,” Stiles responds, staring at Derek as if _he’s_ the one who’s lost his mind and decided to try to befriend the popular kids.

“You can’t,” he says. “They’ll eat you alive if you go over there. This was a bad idea, Stiles, let’s just leave. We can get our pizza and go back to my house. I’ll help you with your algebra homework and then we can play _Mario Kart_ or watch _Half-Blood Prince_ for the millionth time.”

It sounds like a perfect night in Derek’s opinion but Stiles apparently won’t be swayed by the promise of video games or a mini- _Harry Potter_ marathon. He’s on a mission to woo Lydia Martin and can’t be stopped no matter how insane the idea of it seems.

Stiles assures him, “I’ll be back.”

“ _Stiles_ —”

Before he can stop him again, Stiles walks over to their table with a confident swagger in his step. Derek’s tempted to rush over, grab Stiles, and drag him away, but Derek knows Stiles would never forgive him if he did. So Derek’s left to watch his best friend make a fool of himself in front of the girl he supposedly loves, her boyfriend, and their companions

Derek can’t hear their conversation but from the looks of it, things aren’t going well. Stiles is talking and Lydia’s not even paying attention to him, Danny’s eyebrows are furrowed in confusion, and Jackson’s glaring at him. Allison and Scott are both giving Stiles sympathetic looks, and Derek silently wonders how those two ended up befriending Jackson and Lydia when they’re obviously decent human beings.

Stiles has finished his speech, and Lydia’s speaking for the first time. Whatever she says makes Jackson laugh, has Danny facepalming, and causes Scott and Allison to both narrow their eyes at her in an admonishing fashion. Stiles’ shoulders slump and he turns around, slinking back over to their table with Jackson’s laughter ringing in his ears. He drops down into the seat across from Derek, looking completely defeated, and Derek would give just about anything to be able to put a smile back on his face.

“Go on,” Stiles begins, tone bitter, “let’s just get it out of the way right now. Say it. Just say it, Derek. Say ‘I told you so, Stiles. I told you no one would ever want you.’” He folds his arms, sulking, and Derek’s mouth drops open in offense.

“ _I never said that_!” He shouts, garnering the attention of the restaurant’s other patrons. Derek scowls at them until they go back to their own conversations and lowers his voice considerably. “I never said that,” he repeats softly.

“Might as well have,” Stiles says with a frown, and Derek can’t believe this situation, which he tried to stop by the way, is now his fault.

“Stiles—”

Stiles interrupts him with a heavy sigh. “I’m so stupid, thinking Lydia would want anything to do with me.”

 _She’s the stupid one_ , Derek wants to say but catches himself. Stiles is in a bad place right now and badmouthing Lydia, even deservedly so, wouldn’t be the smart thing to do.

“Lydia’s beautiful,” Stiles says wistfully, “and I’m…I’m just a loser who doesn’t deserve her.”

Stiles lets his head fall to the tabletop, groaning softly, and Derek considers reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder or running it over his short haircut but doesn’t do either. He does, however, try to comfort him with his words. “Don’t say that. You’re not a loser.”

Stiles lifts his head back up to retort, “Yeah, I am, and I always will be. Hell, I’ll probably die a virgin.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll find someone, Stiles, and even if you don’t…well, there’s always…”

Derek trails off, and Stiles stares at him curiously, gesturing for him to finish his thought. “There’s always what?”

It’s a crazy idea, one he has no business even considering, but apparently Derek’s officially lost his mind because the words come tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop them.

“There’s always me,” he finally blurts. “You and I…we could…I mean, if we’re still virgins by the time we both turn eighteen, we should just…”

“ _Have sex_?” Stiles says, voice rising several levels, and Derek mentally kicks himself. What the hell is he even thinking, suggesting that he and Stiles have sex? They’re friends, sleeping together, even if it is just “to get it over with,” is a horrible idea.

Derek quickly backtracks from his original suggestion. “You know what, I shouldn’t have said that. It was stupid; I was being stupid.”

Stiles agrees, “Yeah, you were.” Derek frowns until he adds, “Because there’s no way you’ll still be a virgin by the time you turn eighteen.”

Derek stares at him in disbelief causing Stiles to scoff. “Oh please, don’t look at me like that. You’re going to find someone who digs those glasses of yours and loves that you’ve read _Lord of the Rings_ a million times. You’ll find someone who can marathon _30 Rock_ with you and adores those awesome grilled cheese sandwiches you make. So yeah, you’ll have someone in no time and I’ll still be alone.”

A sad smile crosses Stiles’ lips, and Derek wants…well, he wants a lot, but at the moment the best he can do is politely disagree with his friend’s assessment.

“You won’t be alone, Stiles. You’ll find someone too, and you’ll fall in love and maybe it won’t be Lydia Martin, but trust me, there’s someone out there who will love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

Derek expects Stiles to reluctantly agree with him and for them to start to move on from this disaster of an evening, but Stiles being Stiles isn’t going to give up that easily.

“No, I won’t. I won’t find anyone, not unless I make some changes.”

A crease appears between Derek’s eyebrows as he asks, “Changes? What kind of changes are you talking about?”

Stiles looks as though he’s just made some type of life-altering decision, and he stands up from his seat to announce, “I gotta go. See you later, Derek.”

Derek watches Stiles slide out of the booth, rush past the table of popular kids, and leave the restaurant without another word. Derek’s utterly confused about what just happened and bumps his head against the seat.

He should’ve just told Stiles the truth about how he feels before his failed attempt to get Lydia’s attention. Maybe it would’ve stopped Stiles from making such a colossal mistake and kept Derek from blurting out that idiotic idea about them losing their virginity to each other. He still doesn’t know what was going through his mind when he made that horrible suggestion.

Derek tries not to think about it though, tries to focus on Stiles and this idea he has that he needs to change himself. He doesn’t need to change a thing in Derek’s opinion, but this incident with Lydia has done something to Stiles, made him feel that he’s not worthy of anybody’s love, that he’s not good enough, but he is. Derek knows he is, but Stiles won’t listen to him, not when it comes to this.

When Derek gets back home, a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese in hand, he texts Stiles, asks him if he’s okay and invites him over for pizza and movies. Stiles declines his invitation though but claims he’ll see him tomorrow at school.

Derek tosses his phone down to the end of his bed with a sigh after reading the message, starts up _Prisoner of Azkaban_ because it’s Stiles’ favorite _Harry Potter_ movie, and stuffs his face with a piece of pizza. He’s an hour into the movie and three-quarters of the way finished with the pizza when Laura comes into his room unannounced, as usual, and makes a space for herself next to him.

Laura steals a piece of his pizza and takes a bite, chewing slowly, before saying, “ _So_ , watching Stiles’ favorite _Harry Potter_ movie and eating Stiles’ favorite pizza without Stiles. Lovers’ quarrel?”

“ _No_ ,” Derek retorts, “and shut up.”

His sister laughs but then inquires, “What happened?”

Derek sighs before replying, “Stiles got his heart broken and now he thinks he needs to change who he is to get the girl he loves.”

Laura smirks at him. “And I’m sure you’re not upset about that _at all_.”

“I just don’t think Lydia’s worth the trouble,” he says with a shrug, but his sister sees right through his supposed indifference.

“I don’t get why you just won’t be honest with him, Derek. You guys have been friends forever; I’m sure if Stiles knew how you felt—”

Derek cuts across her, “He’d go running for the hills and our friendship would be ruined.”

“You don’t know that,” she points out. “He could feel the same way.”

“He won’t. He’s in love with Lydia, and he’s determined to make her fall for him, even if it means changing everything about himself. I mean, doesn’t he realize he’s perfect just the way he is?”

“Aww, Derek, have you been secretly listening to Bruno Mars again?” Laura asks, grinning widely. When Derek frowns at her, she adds, “Tell him. Tell him the truth or you’ll regret it.”

Laura stands up from the bed, grabs the last piece of pizza, and saunters out of the room like she’s just given him the secret of life. Derek sighs and reaches for his phone. He almost considers calling Stiles but thinks better of it.

Instead he scrolls through the photo gallery, looks at countless pictures of himself and Stiles. Most of them were taken by Stiles because Derek only begrudgingly takes pictures. In every single one of them Stiles is smiling brightly at the camera while Derek gazes fondly at the boy beside him. Derek’s so obvious; how could Stiles not know how he feels? Not that it matters now anyway because he’s taken with Lydia.

Derek reclines on his bed, lets the movie continue playing in the background but blocks it out. His mind is completely filled with thoughts of Stiles, wonders what he’s doing at this exact moment, hopes he’s okay. “Please be okay,” Derek murmurs even though he knows Stiles can’t hear him.

Derek doesn’t even realize he’s gone to sleep until his alarm wakes him up the next morning. Eyes still bleary from sleep, he blindly reaches for his phone to check if Stiles has left him any messages. He hasn’t. Derek groans, managing to pull himself out of bed and stumble to his bathroom to shower and get ready to start another day.

After he’s showered and changed into jeans and a t-shirt, he goes downstairs, stops in the kitchen to say good morning to his mom and dad and playfully tap his younger sister Cora on the back of her head. She swats at him in retaliation, and Derek grins when she misses.

He grabs a few Pop Tarts for himself and Stiles and then heads out the door. Derek pedals over to the Stilinski home and is greeted with a surprise when Stiles’ mom opens the door and reveals that Stiles left for school over an hour ago.

“I thought you were with him,” Claudia says, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the sight of Derek out on her front porch.

“He…He probably just forgot to mention that he was leaving early today,” Derek tells her, and it sounds like a lie because they both know Stiles tells him everything. “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Stilinski.”

He starts the trek down the stairs, his body feeling heavier than usual, when Claudia stops him. “Derek, is there something going on I should know about? Stiles was so quiet when he came home last night, which you and I both know is very unusual for him.”

Derek turns back to answer, but his words get caught in his throat. Claudia’s staring at him, the same knowing look as her son, and Derek wants to run. He clears his throat, voice still thick as he tries to respond, “He…um…he’s…he’s going to be okay; he just needs time.”

“I’m assuming this is about Lydia Martin.” Derek doesn’t deny it, so Claudia takes his silence as confirmation. “I’m sure she’s a lovely girl, but I always thought that you and Stiles would—”

“I better get going, Mrs. Stilinski,” Derek says quickly, waving at her before hopping on his bike and speeding away from the house as fast as he can.

He makes it to school in record time. Mrs. Stilinski’s words are still buzzing in his head, and he tries his best not to think about them or what they might possibly mean. When Derek gets to his locker, he checks his phone again, just to make sure he didn’t miss a text from Stiles while he was riding to school. Nothing. Derek sighs, slamming his locker shut after making sure he has his books for his next two classes.

Derek walks down the hall to his biology class, keeping his head down, not acknowledging anyone even when they bump into him. It’s a lonely trek without a certain someone bouncing beside him, chattering incessantly about the latest _Simpsons_ episode or which superpower is the coolest.

He’s just walked past the school’s weight room when he hears a familiar voice shout from inside the room. “ _Why is this so heavy_?!”

Derek immediately backtracks, pushing open the door to find Stiles straddling a weight bench, attempting to lift a heavy barbell. From the looks of his sweaty appearance, he’s been there for a while. Derek stands in the doorway to stare at him for a moment; Stiles is covered in a sheen of sweat and grunting from exertion. Derek's mouth goes a bit dry, and he has to swallow several times to get his tongue back in working order.

“Stiles, what are you doing?”

Stiles stops trying to lift the set of weighs and sits up on the bench. His face is flushed possibly from his workout but more likely from embarrassment. He lowers his head, avoiding Derek’s eyes, and doesn’t answer him right away. Derek, meanwhile, walks into the room to stand in front of him, arms crossed, looking a tad bit putout that Stiles hadn’t bothered to let him in on his plans.

“You’re going to think I’m an idiot,” Stiles mutters, and Derek laughs.

“No chance of that happening since I already _know_ you’re an idiot.” Stiles rolls his eyes, and Derek’s expression softens as he takes a seat beside him on the bench. “Try me, though I think I already have a pretty good idea about what’s going on here.”

“I’m going to bulk up, get into shape, and try out for the lacrosse team in the spring,” he reveals. “Go ahead and laugh and tell me what a stupid idea it is.”

“I wouldn’t laugh at you,” Derek tells him. When Stiles raises a questioning eyebrow at him, he adds, “Well, not about this.”

His friend snorts, and Derek says, “You didn’t have to try to keep this from me, you know. You said it yourself yesterday; you’re my best friend and nothing’s going to change that.”

Stiles nods in agreement. “Yeah, I know, I just…I didn’t want you to think any less of me for trying to fit in. I mean, you and I have always been on the outside looking in. I thought you might not want to be friends with me anymore if you knew I was trying to get in with popular crowd.”

“ _What_?!” He exclaims. “That’s crazy. If anything, _I_ should be the one who’s worried about you not wanting to be friends with me.”

Stiles waves a dismissive hand at him. “Dude, that’s never going to happen. You’re stuck with me for the duration.”

Derek places a hand to his chin thoughtfully as he says, “Hmm, on second thought…”

“You’re the worst,” Stiles complains, pushing at Derek's shoulder playfully, causing them both to chuckle softly. When their laughter stops, Stiles inquires, “Do you think I have any chance at all to get what I want?”

“You mean Lydia?”

“Not just Lydia,” he clarifies. “Do you think I won’t be invisible anymore, that people will finally notice me?”

 _I notice you_. Derek opens his mouth to say just that but closes it at the last second. He looks over at Stiles, his face so bright and hopeful, and Derek can’t do anything but reply, “You’ll get everything you’ve always wanted, Stiles. I know you will.”

Stiles beams at him and claps him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.” He checks the clock on the wall and then curses loudly, standing so he can gather up his things. “Shit, I didn’t realize it was so late. I’ve gotta change and get ready for class. See you in history?”

Derek nods. “Sure.” He watches Stiles rush to the locker room, a frown etched on his face.

When Stiles sets his mind to something, he usually gets it done, which means he’s going to bulk up, he’s going to get on the lacrosse team, he’s going to join the popular group, and he’s going to get Lydia Martin. All of that would be fine if it didn’t mean leaving Derek with absolutely nothing and no one to hold onto.

“I’m going to lose him,” Derek says, voice soft as a whisper. He gets up from the bench and leaves the room in a daze. No matter what Stiles says about being stuck with him, Derek knows the inevitable is going to happen, and there’s really nothing he can do to stop it.


	2. Derek's Quite Certain This isn't a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years later Derek and Stiles are now seniors and a few things have changed between them but some haven't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments. They are much appreciated.

_Four years later_

 

*****

Derek stretches his arms high over his head, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly as he does so. He pops his neck, pushes up his glasses on his nose, and then leans in to start typing again. Most seniors with free periods use the time to leave campus and goof off with their friends, but Derek has a paper due for his literature class in two weeks and figures he should get started.

He’s sitting outside the school at one of the small tables placed around campus, typing away on his laptop, enjoying the unseasonably warm, autumn weather. It’s fairly quiet where he is which is why Derek chooses to work at this table; it’s private and tucked away in a secluded corner surrounded by a small garden planted as a gift from the graduating class of 2009. No one bothers Derek here…well, aside from one person.

“What are you working on?” Stiles asks from behind him, leaning over Derek’s shoulder to peek at the computer screen.

His breath ghosts over Derek’s ear, causing him to shiver. When Derek turns to glance at Stiles, he’s so close and smiling warmly at him, and Derek shuts his eyes because he can hardly stand it. Stiles has always been attractive to Derek, but four years of puberty and lacrosse has made him unfairly gorgeous.

Over the years, Stiles worked on his body, getting himself in shape enough to try out for the lacrosse team freshmen year. He made the JV squad though he rode the bench the whole season. Stiles used the summer before sophomore year to work on his game, and when he tried out again in the spring, Coach Finstock put him back on the team and even let him play.

Stiles surprised everyone, except for Derek, with his exceptional skills on the field, helping his team achieve an undefeated season. It was at this point that Derek started to see the change in Stiles and in the way people treated him.

He let his hair grow out; he stopped wearing so much plaid, opting for t-shirts that showed off his lean, but strong, body. No one bumped into him in the hallway anymore, no one ignored him. Everyone he passed by in the halls spoke to him or gave him high fives. Jackson Whittemore invited him to all of his parties and soon Stiles became a part of his inner circle.

With his newfound popularity, Stiles could have anyone he wanted, and though he spent all of freshmen year and some of sophomore year loving Lydia, when Stiles actually got to know her, he realized there was more to her than meets the eye. She’s beautiful, smart, funny, and kinder than she wants people to believe. Lydia’s become one of his good friends, along with his lacrosse teammates, Danny Mahealani, Isaac Lahey, Scott McCall, and his girlfriend and Lydia’s best friend, Allison Argent.

While Stiles was getting in with the popular crowd, Derek made some changes as well. Derek met Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd sophomore year. During a pep rally for the basketball team, instead of cheering and yelling like the rest of the student body, Derek had his nose in a book, blocking out the whole spectacle. The next thing he knew, two people were taking seats on either side of him.

Derek had looked up from his book to glance between them, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion until Erica said, “Anyone who’d rather read than display school spirit is my new best friend.” Boyd agreed, “What she said.”

Since then the trio’s become close, and Derek’s grateful to have the pair in his life. Erica’s a spitfire who always speaks her mind whether you want to hear it or not while Boyd is quiet and loyal to those he considers his friends.

Not only has Derek’s social life changed but so has he. He still wears glasses most of the time though they aren’t incredibly thick anymore. Erica helped him pick out a stylish pair that makes him look like a “hot hipster” (her words, not his). Derek also started working out as well, finding that the exercise helps him focus more on his studies. He’s put on a significant amount of muscle and over the last few months has started to grow facial hair.

Erica jokes that he looks about ten years older than the rest of their classmates and constantly asks if he’s really their age and not some twenty-eight year old lurking around a high school. Derek rolls his eyes when Erica brings it up and she and Boyd laugh at him, but he can’t help thinking how nice it is to have other friends…friends that he’s not hopelessly in love with.

When Stiles gained the notoriety at Beacon Hills’ high school he’s craved since freshmen year, Derek expected him to forget about their friendship and move on. But to his surprise, and secret delight, they managed to stay friends, maybe not as close as they once were, but still friends nonetheless. Stiles still comes over to Derek’s house to play video games or watch _Parks and Recreation_ while the Sheriff and Claudia often invite Derek over for dinner at the Stilinski home.

Stiles and Derek are still friends, and Derek is still pining away for the young man. Some things have changed over the last four years, but those two facts remain the same.

Stiles is blinding him with that smile of his, making it hard for Derek to focus on the simple task of conversing with him. “I…I have a paper due,” he responds, turning back to his computer and trying to ignore the sigh Stiles releases beside him.

“Derek, it’s called _free period_ for a reason. Gimme.”

Stiles makes grabby hands at his laptop, but Derek holds it back from him. “But I need to finish this.”

“No, you don’t. I have it on good authority that your paper isn’t due for another two weeks,” Stiles says, reaching for the computer again.

Derek’s eyebrows furrow; he tries not to wonder why Stiles knows when a paper for a class he isn’t even taking is due. But then he remembers Scott and Lydia are in his literature class so he probably heard about the assignment from them. That makes sense.

“Yeah, but—”

Stiles wags a distractingly long finger in Derek’s face, interrupting him. “Ah-ah, no buts, now hand over the laptop and pay attention to me.”

Derek sighs, long and suffering, like it’s such a chore to stop working on his paper to talk to Stiles. “Fine.” He closes his computer and turns back to Stiles. “I’m all yours.” Almost as soon as the statement leaves his mouth, Derek blushes, realizing how suggestive his words sound.

“I mean, not _all yours_ or even a little bit yours, just…you have my attention,” he finishes lamely. Stiles smirks at him, and Derek wishes the bell would ring or the ground would open up and swallow him or something else equally dramatic so he can get out of having this conversation.

Stiles takes a seat on the bench, usually reserved for only one person, next to Derek, who thought he’d sit down across from him. He’s right up in his personal space, and Derek swallows hard when Stiles leans in even closer to whisper in his ear.

“Guess what?”

“What?” Derek breathes, eyes closing on their own, relishing his closeness, but they open back up quickly when Stiles pulls away and starts to speak again.

“I got a birthday gift from good, old Mrs. Spencer, my neighbor across the street. She said I deserved a little something for mowing her lawn all the time and not accepting any money for it.”

“‘Mowing her lawn’? That’s not a euphemism for something else, is it?” Derek asks, amused, and Stiles elbows him in the ribs.

“No, you ass, she’s old enough to be my grandmother, for goodness sake. She was just being nice, giving me a birthday gift.”

“Your birthday’s not until next week though,” Derek points out, and Stiles grins.

“You remembered.”

Derek crosses his arms, slightly annoyed that Stiles might actually think he’d forget about his birthday. They’ve spent every one of their birthdays together for the last eighteen years; how could he possibly forget? “Don’t be an idiot; of course I remembered.”

Stiles ducks his head, and Derek thinks his cheeks might be a bit pink though he doesn’t understand why. “Oh. Well, that’s good. I’m glad you remembered.” Stiles starts tracing a pattern with his finger on the palm of Derek’s hand, and Derek feels goosebumps start to pop up on both of his arms.

“So…” Derek stops talking to clear his throat when his voice comes out sounding weird. “So, what did you get from Mrs. Spencer?”

Stiles is distracted, running his finger over the inside of Derek’s hand, so it takes him a moment to answer. “Hmm? Oh. She gave me a gift card to our town’s local cinema.” He takes the gift card out of his wallet to show it off, and Derek snorts.

“You know you could just call it a movie theater, right?”

He puts the card back in his wallet as he agrees, “I could. Anyway, you know that movie came out today; the one based on that book I know you read because you read _all the books_.”

Stiles smiles fondly at him, and Derek sighs contently. “You know the one, right? Where the kids are all stuck in the maze? The lead plays the sidekick on that show you always complain about but still watch about the vampires.”

Derek corrects him, “Werewolves. There will never be vampires on _Wolf’s Den_ and you know that.”

He shrugs indifferently. “I stopped watching after season two.”

“Probably a wise decision.”

“Why are still you watching that show anyway? You always talk about how bad it’s gotten.”

Derek lists off the reasons on his fingers. “The actors are amazing. I’m attached to the characters. And I keep hoping the show will return to its former glory.” Stiles lifts an eyebrow at him, and Derek deflates. “I’m wasting my time, aren’t I?”

“Hey, you’re free to watch a show for whatever reasons you want. Maybe you can catch me up on it sometime if you’re not busy,” he suggests, still running his finger across Derek’s hand.

Derek points to himself incredulously. “If _I’m_ not busy? _You’re_ the one with the clique who makes it their personal mission to take up your whole social calendar.”

“I don’t have a clique,” Stiles insists, but Derek shakes his head in response.

“Sure you don’t.”

“We’re getting off the subject.”

“Which is what exactly?”

“I was wondering…hoping, actually, that you’d go to the movies with me tonight.”

Stiles looks at him with warm amber eyes, and Derek sucks in a breath. Stiles and Derek are still friends, Derek reminds himself, it’s not unusual for friends to go to the movies together, right? No, of course not.

Derek’s about to give him his answer when Scott, Allison and Danny show up, interrupting their conversation.

“There you are,” Scott says, “we’ve been looking all over for you. Come on, we’re leaving early…” He drifts off when he realizes Derek’s there and greets him pleasantly. “Hey, Derek. You don’t mind if we borrow Stiles, do you?”

“He minds,” Stiles answers for him. “He definitely minds because we’re in the middle of something, aren’t we, Derek?”

Derek glances between Stiles and the trio before responding, “Um…no, it’s fine. You should go with your friends.”

“But you’re my friend too,” Stiles reminds him, and Danny snorts from behind them, causing both Scott and Allison to glare at him, but he just shrugs.

“What? You know we’re all thinking the same thing.”

“We’ll come back later,” Allison says, grabbing Scott’s hand and the couple both tug on Danny to pull him away with them while he complains.

“But I wanted to watch Stiles screw this up!”

Once they’re far enough away, Derek asks, “So, what’s that you said about _not_ having a clique?”

Stiles sighs before saying, “Forget about them. Tell me what you were going to say.”

Derek hesitates, but then wants to smack himself on the forehead because he’s being ridiculous. Of course he can go to the movies with Stiles; they are friends, after all.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll go with you,” he replies, and Stiles’ eyes widen in surprise.

“You will?”

“It’ll be fun. So, do you want me to meet you there or—”

“I can pick you up,” he offers, “if you want.”

“Okay. What time?”

“Around eight,” Stiles replies, “sound good?”

Derek nods. “That’s fine. So, now that we’ve made our plans, you can go find your clique, and I can finish my paper.”

“Trying to get rid of me already?” Stiles asks with a pout.

“No,” he retorts. “ I just figured you’d want to go be with your friends.”

“I want to be with you,” Stiles admits in a soft voice, and Derek blushes especially since Stiles doesn’t even try to correct himself. “It feels like I never get to see you anymore. You’re always hanging out with Reyes and Vernon.”

“Erica and Boyd,” Derek amends but then scoffs at him. “And are you _kidding me_? When are you ever _not_ with Scott or Jackson or Danny or Lydia or one of the other members of your fan club?”

“ _My fan club_?” Stiles repeats with a laugh, and Derek half-shrugs.

“Well, what else would you call them? They follow you around like lost puppies; it’s ridiculous.”

Derek’s still huffing while a smile finds its way to Stiles’ lips as he says earnestly, “I miss you.”

“You…” Derek starts, “You miss me? _You_ miss _me_?”

“I do,” he admits. “There used to be a time not so long ago where we barely went an hour without talking to each other, but now? Days can pass and we might not even see each other, let alone have an actual conversation.”

“It hasn’t been _that_ long since we last talked.”

“Three days, six hours, and fourteen minutes,” Stiles reveals, and Derek gapes at him, shocked that he’s kept track of how much time has passed since the pair last saw each other.

Derek then chuckles lightly as he says, “I think you’re being just a _tad_ bit dramatic.” Stiles frowns before standing up from the bench and kneeling down in front of Derek, who stares at him strangely. “What are you doing?”

He replies, “You want to see dramatic? I’ll show you dramatic.” Stiles surprises him when he raises his voice to attract the attention of the few students milling around nearby. “Excuse me, everyone!”

Derek’s eyes widen when their fellow classmates actual turn to look at them. “ _Stiles_ ,” he hisses. “Don’t—”

Stiles cuts him off to shout, “I, Stiles Stilinski, promise not to go more than a day without talking to Derek Hale!” Once he finishes his proclamation, their small audience claps for them, and Stiles returns to his seat, grinning broadly at Derek. “Was that dramatic enough for you?”

“You are a horrible person,” Derek tells him, cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but his best friend just laughs in response.

“You like me, so I can’t be that bad, right?”

Derek scowls but doesn’t argue with his sentiment. His expression softens, however, when Stiles resumes tracing his finger along Derek’s palm lines as he speaks. “I said if I got what I wanted, the popularity, that I wouldn’t let it change our friendship, but I did, and I’m sorry.”

Derek can hardly believe his ears. Stiles is actually apologizing for letting their friendship fall by the wayside. Derek opens his mouth to say something, what exactly, he isn’t sure. But he loses his chance to speak when Stiles asks him a question.

“Can you forgive me?”

Derek swallows, mouth suddenly dry, trying to find his voice long enough to answer him. It’s a difficult feat when Stiles is sitting so close, gazing at him the way he is. “There’s really nothing to forgive,” he insists.

“Oh. Well, that doesn’t make me any less sorry for what I did.”

“Friends grow apart, Stiles. It happens.”

While Derek is trying his best to appear nonchalant about the fact that they aren’t as close as they once were, Stiles is clearly upset with himself over the choices he’s made in the last few years.

“Not to you and me,” he says. “I’m going to fix this, Derek, starting right now.”

Stiles abruptly stops speaking to rest his chin in the palm of his hand and stare at Derek, who is utterly confused by his actions.

“Stiles, what are you doing?”

He replies, “Sitting with you while you finish your paper.” He gestures to the laptop, adding, “Get to work, Derek. You know you only have _two weeks_ left to finish.”

Stiles makes himself comfortable on the seat next to Derek, taking off his messenger bag and sitting it down on the ground beside him. Once it appears as though Stiles has no plans to leave anytime soon, Derek says, “ _So_ …you’re just going to sit here and watch me work on my paper for the rest of free period.”

Stiles nods. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“But don’t you have somewhere else you need to be?” He asks. “Don’t you want to go find your clique or something?”

“Not my clique,” Stiles reminds him, “and no, I don’t have anything else to do but sit with my best friend. Unless, of course, I’m bothering you. I’m bothering you, aren’t I? I can leave.”

He makes a move to get up, but Derek grabs him by the wrist because the last thing he wants is for Stiles to be anywhere other than by his side. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. You can stay.”

A smile crosses Stiles’ lips as he says, “Okay, I’ll stay with you.”

“Good. Although, I’m sure you could be working on your own assignments while you’re sitting here with me,” Derek points out, booting up his laptop and opening his paper so he can start working again.

Stiles makes a face and then asks, “Why would I do that when watching you finish your paper, that’s not due for another two weeks, is far more interesting? What’s it about anyway?”

He responds, “Comparing and contrasting the central themes of _Wuthering Heights_ and _Jane Eyre_. One of those Brontë sisters has a slightly darker tone to her writing than the other, and spoiler alert, it’s the one you think it is.”

Derek laughs at his own joke until he notices Stiles is watching him with an amused expression. He feels his face growing warm from his attention and tries to temper down his feelings. “What?”

“Nothing,” Stiles responds with a soft smile, “you’re just funny, that’s all.”

He snorts in disbelief. “Not many people would call me funny.”

“That’s because they don’t know you the way I do. You’ve got just as much of a sense of humor as I do.”

“I’m not starting a _Vine_ channel with you, by the way, so stop asking,” Derek stresses, and Stiles pouts.

“We’d have so many fans; we could become internet celebrities.”

“No,” he reiterates.

Stiles crosses his arms, feigning disappointment. “Fine. You never let me have any fun.”

“You’re distracting me from my paper, you know,” Derek tells him, pointing to his laptop where his half-finished paper is open in Word.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologizes sounding anything but contrite.

“No, you’re not.”

Stiles admits softly, “You’re right, I’m not.”

The pair locks eyes and holds each other’s gazes until Derek releases a shaky breath and turns to his computer. “I should…get back to this.”

Stiles nods in agreement. “That’s probably a good idea. Maybe I should go, give you some privacy.”

“That might be for the best. I should really try to get further along on this, and you being here is kind of…”

“Distracting,” Stiles says, finishing his thought. “I’ve been called far worse.”

Stiles stands up from the bench, tossing the strap of his messenger bag back over his head. Before he can leave, Derek reminds him, “I’ll see you later though? Eight o’clock, right?”

“Eight o’clock,” he confirms. “You’re not going to change your mind on me, are you?”

Derek shakes his head. “No. I really want to see this movie.” Stiles gasps, clearly offended, but Derek adds, “And _I guess_ spending the evening with you isn’t exactly the _worst_ thing I could be doing on a Friday night.”

“Oh, right, thanks for that.” The pair smile at each other until Stiles says, “See you later, Derek.”

“Bye, Stiles.”

Stiles backs away so he can wave at him one last time, and Derek releases a sigh after watching him reenter the school. Sometimes Derek gets the crazy notion that maybe Stiles might, that he might…but then Derek remembers it’s just an insane thought. He and Stiles are only friends and won’t be anything more than that.

He has just returned to his paper, trying not to let thoughts of Stiles keep him from doing his work, when a familiar voice shouts, “ _Oh my god_ , you two just need to bang already!”

Derek startles, turning to see Erica walking over to his table looking completely exasperated with a reluctant Boyd at her side.

“If it makes you feel any better, I managed to stop her from running over, pushing yours and Stiles’ faces together, and yelling, ‘Now kiss!’ in the middle of your conversation,” Boyd reveals with a shrug, and Derek glares at Erica.

She takes the empty spot next to Derek while Boyd sits across from them. Both of the young men are staring at her strangely and Erica scoffs. “Oh what, I get the crazy looks because I’m the only one at this table with the metaphorical balls to say what we’re all thinking out loud? Stiles wants you so bad you can practically smell it on him, which, ew gross.”

“I’m going to need you to stop watching that _Wolf’s Den_ show and remember you’re not a werewolf,” Boyd says with a roll of his eyes.

“Okay, but we all agree I’d make a pretty badass werewolf, right?”

The guys don’t disagree with her, and Erica’s satisfied for a moment until she asks, “So, when are you and Stiles going to stop playing games and hook up? I mean, it’s so obvious that the guy wants to get all up on that.”

She gestures down at Derek’s backside and the young man buries his head in his arms as she adds, “That, plus he’s into all the same lame stuff you are. You two are practically soul mates or something equally cheesy.”

Derek raises his head back up to sigh. “Stiles doesn’t feel that way about me.”

“You made plans to go to movies with him tonight. Sounds like a date to me.” Erica lifts her eyebrows suggestively, and Derek’s eyes nearly fly out of his head.

“You were watching us the whole time?”

“Uh, yeah, what else would we be doing?”

Derek glances between his two friends, mouth gaping open like a fish. His eyes settle on Boyd, who at least has the decency to look sheepish. “Initially we were just coming over to say hi but then we saw you talking to Stiles, and we didn’t want to be rude and interrupt because you guys were flirting like crazy.”

“We weren’t flirting,” he claims but the pair aren’t buying it.

Erica waves a dismissive hand at him. “Oh Derek please, he couldn’t take his eyes off you, and you’re going out with him tonight so that has to mean something.”

He doesn’t like the direction this conversation is heading, not at all. “Friends go to the movies together all the time.”

Boyd and Erica share a look before Boyd asks, “Who’s paying?”

Derek hesitates, knowing the answer but not wanting to reply because his friends will most likely take it the wrong way. Finally after an inordinate amount of times passes, he responds, “Stiles got a gift card for his birthday. He’s just being nice.”

“Mm-hmm, and you’re meeting him at the theater, right?” Erica inquires, and Derek scowls at her because she already knows the answer to the question.

“He’s picking me up.”

“Oh. Well, that settles it then.” Erica and Boyd glance at each other again and then turn their stares on Derek as they speak in unison. “Date.”

“It’s…It’s not a date,” he mutters weakly.

His friends are still giving him healthy doses of the side-eye when the bell rings and Derek flees from the table in a hurry. He avoids Erica and Boyd for the rest of day because he can’t stand seeing the smug looks on their faces. He’s not going on a date with Stiles, Derek reminds himself when he gets home that afternoon. It’s just a friendly movie outing with a friend. That’s it.

*****

“So, you and Stiles, huh? _Finally_.”

Laura calls Derek just as he’s about to get in the shower, and the young man nearly drops the phone in surprise after her comment. His sister is in her third year at Columbia where she’s majoring in Business Management. Even though she’s all the way in New York, that hasn’t stopped Laura from meddling in Derek’s business much to his displeasure.

“What? Wait…how do you even know about me and Stiles?” He questions, stumbling over his words. Derek can practically hear his sister smirking on the other end and hurries to amend his inquiry. “Not that there’s a ‘me and Stiles’ to even speak of.”

“There’s _always_ been a ‘you and Stiles’ even if you’re both too cowardly to admit it,” she says with slight annoyance in her tone. “Oh, and if you must know, Erica’s the one who told me about your date. She figured you might need a pep talk from your big sister.”

Derek’s eyes roll skyward. Of course Erica told her; why wouldn’t she? Heaven forbid his sister and friend give him some privacy when it comes to his basically non-existent social life.

“You and Erica are making a big deal out of nothing. We’re just going to the movies. Friends can go to the movies together,” he repeats for about the umpteenth time but scowls when Laura laughs at him.

“Derek, listen to me very carefully, okay? Stiles…is…crazy…about…you! You may believe there’s nothing serious going on here, but I know Stiles is thinking the exact opposite. He wants to be with you and I bet you anything tonight’s the night he’s going to tell you so.”

Derek wants to believe her; hell, he almost does, but he and Stiles have been friends for so long that if Stiles really felt something more for him he’d know. Stiles has never kept anything from him before now. There’s no way he could hide something as big as having feelings for him from Derek, so Laura and Erica and Boyd are all wrong. It’s not a date; it’s really not.

Derek pinches the bridge of his nose as he speaks. “It’s not a date. No feelings will be confessed tonight or otherwise so you and Erica should just leave it alone, all right?”

“ _Wow_ , you are in _deep_ denial, little brother,” Laura tells him. “I can only hope Stiles will help pull you out of it.”

“Goodbye, Laura,” Derek says with a sense of finality in his voice and she sighs.

“Bye, Derek. Have fun tonight on your not-a-date-but-totally-a-date with Stiles.”

Laura cackles at him and hangs up before Derek can respond, and he frowns down at the phone in his hand before tossing it aside. His sister is the worst, giving him false hope about his relationship with Stiles. Derek knows what they are to each other, what they’ll always be, just friends.

*****

Derek almost considers slamming the door in Stiles’ face and locking himself in his room for the night when the young man arrives on his front step an hour later looking gorgeous in fitted jeans, a black button-up shirt, and his hair artfully ruffled. Derek was not prepared for Stiles to show up looking practically delectable with treats in hand.

“I brought snacks,” he says with a wide grin, holding up a drawstring bag full of goodies, and Derek rolls his eyes at him.

“Stiles, we can’t bring that stuff into the theater; we’ll get kicked out, just like that time you tried to sneak in an extra-large pizza when we went to see that second _Transformers_ movie.”

“Can you blame me? I had to make the movie bearable somehow, Derek. You only came with me because you had that horrible crush on Shia LaBeouf.”

Derek gasps, pointing dramatically at him. “I did not! You take that back!”

“You loved him,” he teases playfully, and Derek throws up his hands in defeat. “Anyway, we’ll be fine. Greenberg’s working tonight, so he’ll let us in with whatever we want, including a pizza…which if we leave now, we can pick up before the show starts.”

“No pizza,” Derek states firmly.

“Ugh, you’re always trying to ruin my movie-viewing experience, Derek,” Stiles complains.

Derek shrugs, suggesting, “Well, you could always go without me, enjoy your pizza all by yourself.”

When Derek makes a move back towards the stairs, Stiles practically whines, “ _No_! That’s not what I want.” He grabs Derek’s wrist and leads him to the door, muttering as he does so. “Could never take a joke, could you?”

Derek grins at his display of exasperation and allows himself to be tugged out of the house and to Stiles’ jeep. Once they’re inside the vehicle, Derek says, “I’m not exactly sure I trust this thing to get us to the movies. We might break down on the way there.”

“Hey, don’t be rude. Roscoe is sensitive, you know that, Derek. He doesn’t handle insults well.”

“Oh right, I completely forgot. He’s ‘sensitive’, which is just a nice way of saying old and worn out,” he jokes and Stiles frowns as he attempts to start up the vehicle.

When the engine doesn’t turn over like it’s supposed to, Stiles folds his arms and turns in his seat to look at Derek. “See? You’ve offended him. Apologize.”

Derek scoffs lightly. “I’m not apologizing to an inanimate object, Stiles.” His friend quirks an eyebrow at him, causing Derek to sigh. “You’re being ridiculous, you know.”

Stiles continues to stare at him expectantly, and Derek finally gives in with an annoyed grunt. “ _Fine_. Sorry for making fun of you, Roscoe. You’re not old and worn out; you’re a classic, a collector’s item worthy of praise and respect—”

Stiles cuts him off with a laugh. “All right, all right, laying it on a bit thick, aren’t we?”

Derek shrugs. “Just want to make sure me and Roscoe are all good.”

He pats the dashboard affectionately and Stiles grins at him while reaching to grasp the key and turning it in the ignition. The engine roars to life, and Stiles’ smug little smirk is about the very last thing Derek needs right now. It’s just making him want to hop over in Stiles’ lap and stay there for the rest of the night instead of going to the movies.

“If you’re nice to Roscoe, he’ll be nice to you,” Stiles says as if this is completely common knowledge, and all Derek can do is roll his eyes at him, trying to hide the smile threatening to play across his lips.

When they get to the theater, the place is packed with people. Both lines for the cashiers are trailing outside the doors and more people keep showing up with each passing minute. Derek gives Stiles an apprehensive look when he sees the large crowd. “Maybe we should go; this is nuts. I didn’t know this many people wanted to see this movie.”

“Follow me,” Stiles says, taking Derek’s hand in his, and Derek fights hard to stave off the warmth spreading over his face when he intertwines their fingers instead of just holding his hand.

They quickly sneak past the two lines surprisingly undetected. Greenberg is stationed near the front of the theater, and Stiles gives him a thumbs-up as they pass by. The pair slip into one of the theaters and trek up the stairs finding two empty seats three rows from the back.

After they’re both seated and commercials start playing on the screen, Derek turns to give Stiles an incredulous look. “Did we just sneak in here without paying?” He asks, and a sheepish expression covers Stiles’ face.

“Maybe.”

“ _Stiles_!” Derek exclaims, and the young man is quick to shush him.

“It’s okay,” Stiles assures him, but he disagrees.

“No, it’s not. You have a gift card; we didn’t need to sneak in. What if we get caught? We could be arrested or something.”

Stiles reminds him, “Sheriff’s son.” But when Derek gives him the bitchface to end all bitchfaces he adds, “I’m sorry. It was a stupid idea; we can leave.”

Stiles is practically pouting at him, bottom lip quivering, eyes wide and earnest, and the whole thing is completely unfair to Derek. He feels like he’s fourteen again, catering to Stiles’ every whim. He says, “Jump” and Derek doesn’t even bother asking how high because he’ll jump as high as humanly possible where Stiles is concerned.

“ _Well_ ,” he begins slowly, “I mean, we’re already here. It wouldn’t make much sense to leave now.”

“Rebel,” Stiles says fondly, and Derek bows his head shyly.

“If I end up with a record because of you…”

“You won’t,” he assures him. “My dad would never arrest you; he loves you too much.” Derek breathes a sigh of relief until his friend adds, “His deputies, on the other hand, well that’s a totally different story.”

Derek’s eyes widen and he growls, “ _Stiles_ …”

Stiles isn’t even intimidated by him, laughing at his response. “ _Relax_ , Derek. Nothing bad is going to happen, so just sit back, enjoy the movie, and have a peanut butter cup on me.” He reaches into the drawstring bag, pulls out the candy, and waves it in front of his face.

“Wait, you’re actually going to let me have a peanut butter cup?” Derek asks in disbelief, and Stiles’ eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“What do you mean? Of course you can have it. Why would you think you couldn’t have one?”

“Hmm, I don’t know, Stiles, maybe because you always take them from me, _every single time_ ,” Derek reminds him with a bored expression.

It’s been a thing since they were children. Somehow Stiles always manages to get his hands on Derek’s peanut butter cups. Actually the stealing isn’t exclusive to peanut butter cups, Stiles is _always_ taking food from him. And Derek, being hopelessly smitten with the young man, never puts up much of a fight when he steals from him.

Stiles gasps, placing a hand over his heart as he speaks. “I do not. You are clearly mistaken, Derek, because I would _never_ take your favorite candy from you. _Ever_. That would just be incredibly rude, and I’m incapable of that.”

Derek lifts an eyebrow at him, gesturing to the half-eaten piece of candy in Stiles’ hand that he started eating in the middle of his rant. Stiles glances at it and then looks back up at Derek, guilt covering his face.

“Were you going to eat this?”

Derek responds by grabbing the bag from him and reaching in to remove a Snickers bar from it. He takes a bite out of it before Stiles can steal that away from him too.

“Well, in my defense this wouldn’t have happened if you had just let me sneak in the pizza,” Stiles points out, and Derek shakes his head, choosing to ignore his comment in favor of focusing on the trailers for upcoming movies.

Derek can’t help the shiver that runs through him when Stiles leans in to whisper in his ear. “There’s probably not an original story in the bunch. All remakes, sequels, prequels, reboots, and adaptations.”

Once he recovers from Stiles’ closeness, Derek says, “We have no room to judge seeing as though we’re about to watch the movie adaptation of a book but agreed. Not a _Pacific Rim_ in sight.”

“You know I still haven’t seen that movie,” Stiles admits, and Derek cocks his head back in surprise. “I wanted to go with you to see it, but you already had plans to see it with Reyes and Vernon—”

“Erica and Boyd.”

“—and I didn’t want to intrude,” he finishes as though Derek never interrupted him.

“You wouldn’t have been intruding. It would’ve been nice having you there with me…us.” Derek curses his slipup, hopes that maybe Stiles won’t even notice, but judging by the grin adorning his face, he heard exactly what Derek said.

“Oh. Well, next time I’ll know it’s okay to butt in on movie night with you and your buddies.”

“Yeah, if you’re not too busy with your clique,” Derek quips, and Stiles releases a soft sigh.

“I don’t have a clique,” he reiterates, trying to steal Derek’s candy bar but failing when the young man holds it out of his reach.

“You can’t keep stealing candy from me.”

Stiles agrees. “You’re right. I can’t. It would be _so_ incredibly wrong.” His attempt to lull Derek into a false sense of security doesn’t work because he manages to keep Stiles from grabbing his Snickers, holding him back with one hand while holding onto his candy with the other.

They go on like this for longer than necessary with Derek playfully swatting at Stiles until two girls, clad in t-shirts with the actor playing the main character from the book series on the front of them, turn around to glare at them.

Derek and Stiles both shrink under their intense stares. After they murmur quiet apologies for their behavior, the young ladies spin back around in their seats. The two friends share a look, holding back laughs, before finally turning their attention to the screen and settling in to watch the movie.

They watch the film in companionable silence, gasping at dramatic moments, chuckling at light-hearted scenes, and getting a bit misty-eyed towards the end. Stiles and Derek are two of five people that stay until the credits are over and get to watch a bonus scene that sets up the inevitable sequel.

The pair walk out of the theater after it’s over discussing the details of the movie, what they liked, what they didn’t like, and in Derek’s case, what differences there were between the book and the film.

“They added a couple of things and took out a few others, but overall it was pretty good. The casting choices were great,” Derek says as they make their way back to Stiles’ jeep. “You and the lead kind of look alike.”

Stiles shakes his head. “No, we don’t. I look _way_ better than he does.”

Derek slides into the jeep, giving his friend an unimpressed look. “ _Right_ , keep believing that.”

“ _So mean_ ,” Stiles says with a pout but breaks character when Derek laughs and can’t resist joining in with him. He doesn’t immediately start up the vehicle, choosing instead to glance over at Derek to inquire, “So, do you want me to take you home or…?”

Derek lifts a questioning eyebrow at him. “Or?”

“Or…I mean, it’s not even midnight yet. We could do something else,” he suggests with a shrug.

Derek swallows hard; he’d been expecting them to just go to the movies and call it a night. He isn’t exactly prepared for Stiles to throw out the idea of extending their non-date outing. Stiles is looking at him with those eyes that Derek hardly ever says no to, compelling the young man to think of something for them to do so their evening doesn’t end just yet.

“Maybe we can get that pizza you’ve been whining about all night.”

“I haven’t been _whining_ ,” Stiles maintains but changes his tune at the sight of Derek’s disbelieving expression. “Okay, so, _technically_ , I may have whined just a little bit.” They both laugh softly until he asks, “You want to? My treat.”

Derek snorts and Stiles is quick to add, “For real this time. I’m not planning on walking out of _Tony’s_ without paying for our pizza. Even though I probably wouldn’t be arrested for it, and I’m sure the deputies would go easy on you because you’re so hot.”

Derek feels himself flush at the simple compliment. He knows he’s not unattractive, but Stiles pointing it out to him does something to Derek he’d rather not acknowledge.

“Just…drive,” he orders, and Stiles smirks at him.

“Yes, sir.”

They order a large pizza, half pepperoni for Stiles, half bacon and pineapple for Derek (“You can be such a weirdo sometimes,” Stiles says fondly) and sit in the jeep parked outside the restaurant eating their food together.

Derek glances over at Stiles, who appears to be having a religious experience over his pizza, before speaking. “This is good.”

“Hell yeah, it is,” Stiles concurs. “It’s got just the right pepperoni to cheese to sauce ratio that I look for in a pizza.”

“I...I wasn’t talking about the pizza,” Derek admits. “I meant this, us hanging out like friends.”

“We _are_ friends, Derek,” Stiles reminds him, and Derek sighs.

“You know what I mean.”

He chuckles softly at the annoyance on Derek’s face before agreeing with him. “Yeah, I know.”

Stiles looks at him for a whole lot longer than any other normal friend would. Derek almost considers questioning him about it when Stiles asks, “Can I have a piece of your pizza?”

“Why? You don’t even like pineapple,” Derek points out because of course he knows this very trivial information about his friend.

“I might like it on pizza though.”

Derek crosses his arms. “You just want to take my food…again. You still owe me several peanut butter cups, a ton of fries, and at least 50 egg rolls.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure you’ll let me make it up to you somehow,” Stiles says with a grin that has Derek wondering why it’s suddenly feeling so warm inside the jeep.

He runs a hand though his hair, pulls nervously at his shirt, fidgets in his seat for what feels like forever before finally opening his mouth to respond to Stiles’ comment. Unfortunately Stiles cuts him off with a soft curse when he notices the time on the jeep’s console.

“It’s almost two. I’ve got to get back otherwise I won’t actually make it to my eighteenth birthday.”

Derek breathes a sigh of relief though he’s not exactly sure why. He doesn’t know where their conversation was even heading, but he _does_ know he probably isn’t ready to continue it any time soon.

“That’s fine; I should get home anyway,” Derek says, his hand on the pizza box ready to close it up, but Stiles stops him, snatching a slice of the bacon and pineapple and taking a bite out of it.

He swallows the piece, though rather reluctantly, and complains, “Oh god, that’s terrible. How can you eat this stuff?”

Derek shrugs. “It’s an acquired taste.”

Stiles finishes the slice, gagging as he does so, and then starts up the jeep. “I’m never stealing your pizza again,” he tells him. “But if you’re ever eating a bag of barbecue chips, they’re mine.”

Derek throws up his hands in resignation, but the young man knows if Stiles wanted 20 bags of his potato chips he’d happily give them to him.

The ride back to Derek’s house is way too short for him because Stiles pulls into the Hales’ circle driveway only about ten minutes after leaving _Tony’s_ parking lot. After putting the vehicle in park, Stiles says, “I can’t believe you talked me into sneaking into the movies without paying.”

Derek’s mouth drops open in surprise. “Oh, _I_ talked _you_ into sneaking in, _that’s_ what happened?”

Stiles tuts disapprovingly. “I tried to convince my mom you were the bad influence in this friendship but for some reason she doesn’t believe me.”

“I wonder why.” The boys laugh until Derek says, “See you later, Stiles.”

He starts to open his door, but Stiles’ hand on his forearm stops him. Derek turns back to look at his friend, trying to read his facial expression but finding that he has no idea what Stiles is thinking.

A moment or so passes with the two of them just sitting in the idling jeep, Stiles still has his hand on his arm and Derek takes several deep breaths, attempting to keep himself in check. He doesn’t want to do anything crazy like lean in for a kiss that probably won’t even be reciprocated.

“You really don’t think I look better than the lead in that movie?” He finally asks, and Derek rolls his eyes while Stiles stares at him incredulously. “What, a person can’t even ask a simple question anymore?”

“Good night, Stiles,” he says dismissively, exiting the jeep and closing the door behind him.

He’s about to walk to the door when Stiles calls out to him through the open passenger side window. Derek almost trips with how quickly he spins around to face him. “You know you’re my best friend, right?”

Derek smiles as he responds, “Unfortunately.”

He can’t help laughing at the putout look on Stiles’ face and the way he grumbles something about rudeness and not being appreciated the way he deserves. “I’m your favorite, Derek, and don’t even try to deny it,” he says before driving away, leaving Derek to stare longingly after him. He can’t even pretend that what Stiles said wasn’t the absolute truth.

Derek manages to sneak back into the house without disturbing his parents or sister and once he’s closed up in his room, he takes off his clothes, leaving him in just boxers, and drops down onto his bed.

He grins up at the ceiling, thinking back to the ridiculously fun night he just spent with Stiles. It felt like old times between them but also with something new in the mix. There were times tonight when it seemed like there could be more between them.

Derek runs a lazy hand over his nipples and then down his stomach as his mind drifts to the way Stiles watched him when he thought Derek wouldn’t notice or the way his hand lingered whenever he touched him. He lets out a soft moan when his hand moves into his boxers, cupping his growing erection.

Derek lifts his hips to pull down his underwear and toss them to the floor beside the bed. He gets a hand around his cock, stroking it to full hardness. Imagining that it’s Stiles’ hand and not his own touching his body so intimately has Derek leaking drops of precome onto his stomach. He bites his lip, holding back helpless whimpers that sound suspiciously like his best friend’s name.

The young man plants his feet on the mattress, hips moving rapidly as he starts to jerk his cock more intensely, not even bothering to stop to grab the lube out of his bedside table. Derek prefers the feeling of his own slick as he strokes himself. He runs a thumb over his slit, causing his body to jerk up and he uses the new angle to reach down and slide a fingertip down the crack of his ass.

It’s way too dry and Derek wouldn’t dare try to push it in all the way, but he does run his finger around the tight pucker a few times while thrusting up into his fist. He’d give anything for it to be Stiles touching him this way, giving him so much pleasure he might just pass out from it all.

The idea of Stiles’ hand on his cock while he licks and sucks between his bare cheeks has Derek shooting an impressive load all over his hand, stomach, and even on his chest. He flops back, panting and spread eagle on the mattress.

Derek reaches blindly for some tissue to clean up before burrowing himself under the covers. Sleep comes easy to him; his dreams are filled with Stiles and how ridiculously happy they’d be together if Derek could stop being such a coward and tell him the truth about his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Stiles and Derek fluffy goodness on the way!


	3. Derek Should Always Be Prepared for Unexpected Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after his non-date with Stiles, Derek's in for a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you so much for the kudos and comments. I love that you guys are enjoying my story.

The next morning Derek wakes up much earlier than he originally planned. It’s just after ten when he emerges from his cocoon of blankets. He stands up from his bed, releasing a yawn as he stretches his arms high above his head. He checks his phone and finds a text from Erica, asking how his date with Stiles went.

“It wasn’t a date,” he grumbles, frowning slightly.

She also wants to know if he’s doing anything later because she and Boyd want to spend their evening at _Sky High_ , a popular place in Beacon Hills where people have the option to jump on trampolines, play dodgeball, and dive into pits full of foam bricks.  Erica and Boyd want Derek to join them…unless he has another date with Stiles lined up for tonight.

“It wasn’t a date,” he mutters a second time, tossing the phone aside and heading to his bathroom to take a quick shower before going downstairs to find something for breakfast.

When Derek gets down to the ground level, the sounds of voices and laughter catches the young man off-guard. It sounds like there’s a whole group of people in the kitchen even though there’s only three others living in the house.

Curious as to what the cause of the commotion could be, Derek walks into the kitchen and nearly turns back around to flee the room when he catches sight of Stiles pouring pancake batter onto a griddle while chatting animatedly with Derek's parents and Cora.

Stiles always looks so perfectly content and comfortable surrounded by the Hale family, and Derek can practically feel his heart constricting in his chest watching the scene unfold in front of him.

He realizes that they’re both still young, not even out of high school yet, but Derek already knows what he wants, a life with Stiles though he doesn’t believe him and his friend are on the same page about what their future holds.

Derek is gazing at him, probably with a million hearts in his eyes, when Stiles notices him standing in the doorway and beams at him.

“Good morning, sunshine,” he says, waving at him with a spatula in hand, and Derek feels as though he’s rooted to the spot.

“Uh…” He tries to speak, to say _something_ , but finds himself at a loss. It’s been less than twelve hours since he jerked off to thoughts of Stiles; Derek can’t be blamed for his brain turning to mush around him.

“You were always the most eloquent one out of all of us, Derek,” Cora jokes, chewing on a piece of bacon.

Derek frowns at his sister before walking into the room to stand beside Stiles. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again this soon,” he admits.

“Disappointed?” Stiles asks, and Derek trips over his words in his rush to answer him.

“What…no…why would you…I…”

Talia gracefully steps in to speak for her son when she notices him struggling to respond to Stiles’ question. “We’re always happy to have you here, Stiles.”

He smiles at the older woman. “Thank you, Mrs. Hale.”

“Especially when pancakes are involved,” Derek’s father, Charles, adds, his mouth full of breakfast food.

Cora agrees, “Seriously. Actually the only time you’re welcome here is when you make pancakes for us, Stiles.”

Stiles makes a face at her. “Thanks, Cora. I feel the love; I truly do.”

She gives him a fake smile before digging back into her food. Stiles then turns to Derek and says, “I know you don’t like chocolate chip pancakes, which _how_? So I’m making you blueberry.”

“They’re my favorite,” Derek chokes out, and Stiles grins.

“I know.”

He watches in awe as Stiles flips the pancakes with ease, realizing he hasn’t watched Stiles cook in a while. Claudia wanted to make sure that if something ever happened to her, thankfully it hasn’t, Stiles would be able to help take care of himself and his father, so she taught him everything she knows about cooking. Stiles is a natural in the kitchen, and Derek loves almost every dish he’s ever made for him.

“So, what made you decide to come by this morning, Stiles?” Derek asks when his parents and Cora start up their own conversation and he’s waiting for his pancakes to finish cooking. “Not that I mind, at all.”

“Kind of didn’t feel like waiting until Monday to see you again,” Stiles reveals, and Derek can feel the tips of his ears turning pink. “Plus I wanted to make pancakes and your family’s kitchen is awesome.”

Derek stares at the young man in disbelief. “You used me to get access to my family’s kitchen? I’m appalled, Stiles, truly appalled.”

Stiles gives him a bored look. “Yeah, whatever, just taste this. It’s homemade.”

He surprises Derek when he sticks a whipped cream covered finger in his mouth for him to taste, and Derek can’t stop the soft moan that he releases, partly because of the whipped cream but mainly because Stiles’ finger is in his mouth. Derek licks off the whipped cream but then shocks himself, and Stiles he's sure, by continuing to suck on his finger.

Stiles gapes at him, watching the process of his finger sliding in and out of Derek’s mouth with wide eyes, and murmurs under his breath. “Oh, _fuck_.”

His soft utterance manages to bring Derek back to himself. He lets Stiles’ finger slip out of his mouth and just in time too because his parents choose that exact moment to look over at them from their spots at the table.

“Everything okay over there, boys?” Charles inquires, and Derek’s face turns a spectacular shade of red while Stiles has to clear his throat several times before answering Mr. Hale.

“ _Fine_ ,” he squeaks, voice high-pitched. When Derek’s parents and Cora stare at him with quizzical expressions, Stiles clears his throat one last time and speaks in his normal tone. “Fine. We’re fine.”

Derek is completely mortified, can’t even believe that after he and Stiles had such a good time last night that he could fuck up so completely this morning. He doesn’t know what the hell he was thinking, sucking on Stiles’ finger that way.

Though if Derek’s being honest with himself, he wonders if maybe Stiles enjoyed the feeling of him running his tongue along his finger, chasing the taste of whipped cream and Stiles. Still, Derek knows no matter how much he wants Stiles he shouldn’t pressure him into anything he might not be ready for.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Derek asks, and Stiles nods, turning off the girdle before they leave the kitchen together and head into the family room.

Almost as soon as they’re alone, Derek apologizes for his actions. “I’m sorry, Stiles. I shouldn’t have—”

Stiles cuts him off to assure him, “It’s okay, Derek. It happens.”

Derek quirks an eyebrow as he inquires, “How often do people lick whipped cream off your fingers?”

“You’d be surprised,” he responds with a sly grin, and Derek doesn’t know how to feel about this development.

On the one hand, he’s relieved that Stiles isn’t freaking out about what happened, but on the other, he can’t help feeling a little jealous thinking about all the girls and boys who’ve had Stiles in much more intimate positions than he ever will.

Derek doesn’t have time to dwell on these thoughts though because Stiles is already changing the subject. “So, what are you up to today? Any plans?”

“Erica and Boyd want to go to _Sky High_ later on, but I’m not sure if I—”

Stiles interrupts Derek in the middle of his sentence to question, “The place with all the trampolines and the foam pit?”

Derek replies, “Yeah, I think so.”

Apparently any doubt Derek has about going out tonight flies out the window when Stiles says excitedly, “Ooh, we’re going.”

“We? ‘We’ as in…”

“You and me,” he clarifies. “We’re going to _Sky High_ tonight with your buddies Reyes and Vernon—”

Derek corrects him, “Erica and Boyd.”

“—and we’re going to get into some typical teenage shenanigans and it’s going to be amazing. Unless…you don’t want me to go with you, which it’s totally fine if you don’t. I’ll understand.”

Stiles pokes his bottom lip out pathetically, and Derek sighs heavily. “You know all your usual dramatics weren’t necessary because of course you can come with me. We went over this last night; you’re never intruding and you’re always welcome…I guess,” he adds with an indifferent shrug.

“You Hales are just _so_ affectionate,” Stiles jokes, nudging him with an elbow before taking hold of his wrist and tugging him back towards the kitchen. “Come on, you’ve got blueberry pancakes waiting for you.”

Derek grins as he follows Stiles. He was nervous that he’d manage to mess up things between them, but Stiles is still right here with him, and Derek wouldn’t have it any other way.

After they finish breakfast, Talia tells Derek that she needs him to pick up a few things from the grocery store. At this point Derek figures Stiles would leave and he’d meet up with him later, but his friend has other ideas.

“Can I go with you?” Stiles asks as he and Derek are rinsing off the last of the dishes to put into the dishwasher.

Derek hands him the silverware, staring at him with a perplexed expression. “You want to come with me to the grocery store?”

He closes the dishwasher and starts it up before responding, “Yeah, is that okay?”

Derek hesitates as he answers. “Well…I mean…I just figured—”

Stiles folds his arms, cutting across Derek before he can finish his thought. “Are we really about to have this same conversation _again_? Yes, they’re my friends but right now I’m spending time with you…unless you want me to leave which I am more than happy to—”

“I wouldn’t mind some company,” Derek admits and Stiles lights up like a Christmas tree.

“Awesome. I’m going to call my mom and make sure we don’t need anything at the house and then we can go. I’m driving.”

“Oh no, you’re not,” Derek’s quick to say just before Stiles reaches in his pocket for his cell. “ _I’m_ driving. We’re not riding around in a jeep that needs compliments to start up properly.”

Stiles opens his mouth to argue, but Derek lifts an eyebrow at him, and he closes his mouth with a huff. “Those Hale eyebrows are dangerous,” he complains, and Derek laughs, leading him to the door.

“Come on, you can talk to your mom in the car on the way there since _I’m_ driving.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to rub it in.”

Derek drives them to the store in Laura’s _Camaro_ ; she lets him use it while she’s away at school since she doesn’t need a car in New York. When they arrive at the store, Stiles grabs them a cart while Derek looks over the list.

About ten minutes into their shopping trip, Derek makes the decision to never come back to the grocery store, or any store for that matter, with Stiles again. He has a habit of picking up whatever’s in reach, claiming he needs it, and throwing it into the cart.

“Stiles, we don’t need four bags of powdered donuts,” Derek states in a firm voice, putting back three bags and keeping one in the cart. Derek’s not completely rigid; he’s willing to admit the mini donuts are quite addictive but four bags is overdoing it in his opinion.

Stiles asks, “Are you sure? Because I think we do.” He reaches for the donuts but Derek swats his hand away.

“No.”

“Spoilsport,” the young man grumbles but then grabs an extra bag and tosses it into the cart. Derek sighs but doesn’t put the second bag of donuts back on the shelf, and Stiles grins quite smugly at him.

“Your mom told you she didn’t need anything from the store which means we’re only shopping for my family. Not you,” Derek reminds him as he pushes the cart into the next aisle.

Stiles exclaims, “I _am_ family! Your parents love me. Laura loves me. Cora…tolerates me. And you…”

He chooses to leave the sentence hanging between them, instead smiling softly at Derek, who runs the shopping cart into one of the shelves cursing softly when several cans of green beans and creamed corn fall to the floor.

Derek bends down to pick up the canned goods and Stiles joins in to help him. “Lost control of the trolley?” He jokes in a terrible English accent, and Derek wants to scowl at the young man but the amused expression on his face keeps him from doing so.

“The cart must have a bad wheel or something,” Derek mutters, and Stiles’ smile widens considerably.

“Oh yeah, that _must_ be what it is.”

Derek ignores the sarcasm in Stiles’ voice and doesn’t respond to his comment. He focuses his energy on gathering the rest of the cans and returning them to their places on the shelf.

Once he and Stiles get everything back in order, they continue down the aisle together. When they get to the condiments section, Derek picks up a bottle of Dijon mustard while Stiles holds up two different bottles, one labeled “ketchup” and the other “catsup,” staring between them looking quite bewildered.

“Seriously, what’s the difference between them? Because I’m pretty sure they both taste the same.”

“They are the same, Stiles,” Derek reveals, stepping up beside him. “They just have two different spellings. You know European traders got introduced to this stuff in the 1600s. They brought it back from Asia around 1690 and have been using it on everything since then. They called it ‘ketchup’, but in 1730 Jonathan Swift used ‘catsup’ in one of his poems, hence the spelling dilemma.”

When Derek notices the smile adorning his friend’s face, his cheeks heat and he asks, “What?”

“The amount of random knowledge floating around in that head of yours is quite impressive, that’s all,” Stiles comments, putting the ketchup back on the shelf. “You’re like a walking, talking trivia book and it’s—”

“Lame?” Derek suggests with a frown, but Stiles disagrees.

“I was going to say endearing.”

Derek bows his head, embarrassed by the compliment, and murmurs, “Oh.” When he meets Stiles’ eyes again, he swallows hard, steering their conversation back into safer territory. “We need olive oil.”

Stiles nods, grabbing a bottle and putting it into the cart and then asks, “What’s next?”

Derek checks the list before responding, “Ground beef and chicken breasts.”

“ _Ooh_ , can we get steaks instead?” Stiles suggests with a gleeful smile as he steers the cart over to the meat section. “Although we could still get the chicken breasts for my dad.”

“You and your mom still on a crusade to get him off red meat?”

Ever since the sheriff’s last doctor’s appointment, his wife and son have both been working overtime to get him to eat healthier foods. Unfortunately, the older man isn’t fond of being force-fed salads and grilled tilapia.

“His cholesterol is through the roof, and I know his deputies have been sneaking him cheeseburgers behind my back. They all run and hide from me whenever I come into the station.”

“That’s probably because you always annoy them with questions about their cases,” Derek says with a smirk.

Stiles stops the cart in the middle of the aisle and crosses his arms with an indignant scoff. “Hey, I am _not_ annoying. I’m loveable.”

Derek lifts an eyebrow at him. “I’m not sure your dad’s deputies see you that way.”

“ _They_ might not, but I’m sure there’s _someone_ somewhere who does.”

Stiles pushes the cart forward after his statement, but Derek doesn’t move. He just stands there, gaping after his friend. There’s _no possible way_ Stiles meant that comment the way it sounded, no way, no how.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget something?” Stiles turns to ask after realizing Derek isn’t walking beside him.

“No, I just…nothing,” Derek rambles and Stiles chuckles softly at the vagueness of his answer.

“Well, _that_ was easy to comprehend.”

Derek starts to explain himself though he doesn’t know exactly how he plans on doing that without blurting out his feelings for his best friend. However, his attempt to clarify his answer gets stalled when a voice behind them calls out to Stiles.

“Stiles, man, what are you doing here?” Scott inquires, emerging from the snack aisle with Allison and Isaac at his sides. “I’ve been trying to call you about hanging out, but now I see why you didn’t answer. Nice to see you again, Derek.”

Derek waves at them in greeting while Stiles glances between him and his friends, looking a bit…annoyed if Derek’s being honest. The cause of it is probably the way the trio is smirking at Stiles now that they realize him and Derek are together.

“Have you two been together since last night?” Isaac asks, pointing between them, clearly entertained by the idea. “Nicely done, Stiles.”

Stiles narrows his eyes at the young man, who isn’t the least bit threatened by him, before saying, “I turned off my phone last night before the movie started and forgot to turn it back on after it was over.”

Isaac grins at him. “Got distracted?”

Allison hits Isaac on the back of the head, giving him an admonishing look, and then turns her attention to Stiles. “We were trying to get ahold of you because we’re all going over to Danny’s tonight and we wanted to know if you were coming.”

“Can’t. I’ve got plans,” Stiles tells them apologetically.

Derek glances over at him; he can’t help the surprised expression that covers his face over the fact that Stiles chose him over his more popular acquaintances even though he already insisted on accompanying him out with Boyd and Erica.

“What are you guys doing tonight?” Allison asks.

“We’re going to Sky _High_ ,” Derek responds, failing to notice the way Stiles shakes his head as if he doesn’t want them to know about their plans.

“The place with the trampolines and the foam pit?” Scott asks excitedly, and Derek laughs softly at his reaction, wondering how Stiles and Scott haven’t been friends for longer because it seems as though they were separated at birth. “Can we come with you? We’ll make it a group outing, call up Lydia, Jackson, Danny, and Ethan. Derek, you could even invite Cora too. I’m sure _Isaac_ wouldn’t mind.”

Scott nudges Isaac with his elbow. He pushes at Scott’s shoulder, a slight blush rising in his cheeks at the mention of Cora, and Derek doesn’t even want to think about why. But he does agree to Scott’s suggestion.

“Yeah, sure,” Derek responds at the same time as Stiles, who blurts, “No.”

The two friends share a look; Derek’s face is covered in confusion while Stiles appears anxious. He runs a hand over the back of his neck, correcting himself, “ _No_ … _way_ would we pass up the opportunity to all hang out together as a group. What an _awesome_ idea, right, Derek?” Stiles claps Derek on the shoulder, giving it a shake. “ _Yay_!”

Stiles’ friends all roll their eyes as if they’re used to him behaving this way though Derek can’t keep the fond smile off his face as he does so. He then turns back to the rest of the group to tell them, “We’ll be there around seven.”

Scott nods in agreement. “Cool. We’ll see you guys there.”

The group goes their separate ways and once Derek and Stiles are alone, as alone as they can get in a public grocery store, Derek asks, “What was that about?”

“What was what about?” Stiles inquires, picking through the packages of ground beef as if they’re the most fascinating things on earth.

“You know what.”

“If I knew what, then I could tell you what but since I don’t know what I can’t tell you what,” Stiles counters with a shrug.

Derek frowns at his convoluted answer. “You can be unbelievably frustrating sometimes.”

“So I’ve been told.” Stiles places a good-sized container of ground beef into the cart and then moves onto the chicken. He doesn’t immediately start looking through them; instead he looks over at Derek and releases a sigh. “I’m sorry about Scott, Allison, and Isaac. I’m sorry they decided to intrude on our plans with Reyes and Vernon—”

“Erica and Boyd.”

“—I know you don’t particularly care for them.”

“They’re not bad people or anything,” Derek says but then adds, “well, except for Jackson. He’s kind of an ass.”

Stiles agrees with a laugh. “He is. I still find it hard to believe that we’re actually friends now, same with me and Lydia. Man, I’d always get so nervous around her and act like a complete idiot. It was such a relief when I finally got over her and realized…”

Stiles trails off suddenly, sucks his bottom lip into his mouth, and goes back to concentrating hard on the task of picking out a suitable package of chicken breasts. Derek watches him for any sign that he might change his mind and finish his thought, but Stiles appears to have only one focus at the moment and it’s not revealing whatever it is he stopped himself from saying just now.

They finish up grocery shopping though Stiles is a bit off-kilter after their unexpected run-in with his group of friends. When the pair returns to the Hale home and helps put away their purchases, Derek suggests they hang out for a while before going to _Sky High_ , but Stiles declines the offer. He says he has to get home and check in with his parents, and Derek tries to hide his disappointment. He perks up though when Stiles tells him he’ll see him later and to get ready because they’re spending the night jumping on every trampoline in sight.

Since Stiles leaves, Derek uses the rest of the afternoon to catch up on homework so he won’t have to worry about it later. When Cora walks past his door and finds her brother sprawled out on the floor surrounded by textbooks and notebook paper, she shakes her head at him.

“You’re such a nerd,” she comments though the statement isn’t spoken with any sort of malice.

“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment,” he responds, glancing up from his Trig homework. “Oh, I forgot to mention we’re going to _Sky High_ tonight, and you’re welcome to come with us.”

“Who’s we?” Cora asks, taking a seat on the bed.

“Me, Boyd, Erica, Stiles…and his friends,” Derek replies, rushing through the last part of his sentence.

She falls back onto the bed, laughing loudly, while he scowls at her. “ _Oh my god_ , you’re going out with the popular kids! How in the hell did Stiles rope you into that?”

“He didn’t,” Derek reveals, and Cora bolts up to stare at him in disbelief. “Erica texted me this morning about going with her and Boyd. When Stiles asked what I was doing tonight, I told him about going to _Sky High_ and he said he wanted to go with us.”

“ _Ooh_ , a double date, how romantic,” Cora says, batting her eyes at him, and Derek tosses a balled up piece of paper at her.

“ _No_ , not a date,” he tells her. “An outing, a friendly outing with…friends.”

“That was a bit repetitive,” she jokes. “So how did this 'friendly outing with friends' turn into a gathering of Beacon Hills’ High School’s finest?”

Derek runs a hand through his hair as he replies, “While Stiles and I were at the store earlier, we ran into his friends. They were looking for him, wanted to hang out with him, but he told them no, that he had plans.”

“With you,” Cora adds helpfully, and Derek tries to fight off the blush threatening to rise on his cheeks from her statement.

“And Erica and Boyd,” Derek reminds her, ignoring the bored expression covering her face. “They asked what we were doing, I told them, and they kind of invited themselves along.”

“Wait a minute, hold on,” she says, waving her hands in front of her face, “ _you_ told them, not Stiles?” Derek nods, looking a bit confused when Cora slaps a hand over her forehead and groans. “You’re _so_ smart, Derek, like really book smart, but you are _completely clueless_ when it comes to everything else.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asks, but the young woman just shakes her head, standing up from her spot on the bed and walking to the door.

She turns back to inquire, “What time are you guys leaving?”

“They’ll be here at 6:30.”

“Okay, I’ll be ready.”

With that said, Cora exits the room, leaving Derek to ponder her words. What’s he clueless about? Certainly not anything to do with Stiles. Even if they aren’t as close as they once were, Derek still knows his best friend better than anyone else. He releases a soft sigh, wondering if that’s even true anymore, if maybe he doesn’t know Stiles as well as he thinks he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just spent like ten minutes and Googled that stuff on ketchup and catsup so I can't be completely sure if it's true or not. Anyway, what's that you say, you'd like more Stiles and Derek fluffy goodness? Coming right up!


	4. Derek Must Remember to Be Mindful of Dodgeballs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek, Stiles, and their friends head out for the night, and Derek finds himself caught in several uncomfortable situations with Stiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the kudos and comments.

Derek’s moping when they get to _Sky High_ later that night. His friends and sister give him the side-eye for the whole car ride and even after they arrive, but Derek refuses to acknowledge them, settling into a stony silence while they wait in the parking lot for the rest of the group to show up.

He figures Erica feels she’s held her tongue long enough regarding his behavior because she sidles up next to him, leaning against the side of Boyd’s truck. “Well, you’re grumpier than usual considering your boyfriend will be here any minute,” she comments with folded arms.

“Stiles isn’t my boyfriend,” Derek reminds her not even bothering to hide his bitter tone.

“ _Oh right_ , because he looks at everybody like the answers to all of life’s mysteries can be found in their eyes. I had no idea,” Erica says playfully, nudging him with her shoulder, and Derek rolls his eyes.

“I should’ve just stayed at home and watched reruns of _Community_.”

His friend throws an arm around him as she says, “What, and miss all the fun we’re about to have? Not happening, Derek not happening.”

Stiles’ jeep and a silver _Acura_ belonging to Lydia Martin speed into the parking lot at that moment and pull into spots on either side of Boyd’s truck. Lydia, Jackson, Danny, and Ethan emerge from their vehicle while Stiles slides out of his jeep, long limbs flying in every direction as he does so, followed by Scott, Allison, and Isaac.

The group, excluding Jackson who already appears bored by the situation, exchange greetings before walking to the entrance together. Derek starts to follow after them, but someone grabs his arm and holds him back until the others have gone inside.

When Derek turns to see who grabbed him, he finds Stiles standing behind him looking distraught but still as attractive as ever. He’s clad in a comfortable pair of gray sweats and a blue t-shirt. His hair is a bit of a fluffy mess, and Derek can’t stop staring.

He’s still gazing at him even as Stiles blurts out an apology. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry; this night is going to be a _disaster_ and it’s all my fault. We should just leave,” he suggests, starting to tug Derek over to his jeep. “Let them kill each other in the foam pit while we get Chinese food and marathon _Gravity Falls_ ; I still owe you like two egg rolls.”

“You owe me a little more than two, Stiles” Derek points out, and Stiles throws his hands up in defeat.

“All right, fine, make it three, just…we don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.”

Stiles is looking at him, waiting for him to make a decision as to whether they stay at _Sky High_ with their friends and potentially endure an evening of them snarking and bickering with each other or hightail it out of there and go back to his house for the night.

The latter definitely sounds like the more appealing option, but since they’re already there, they may as well stick it out with their companions. Maybe the night will go more smoothly than they think. Erica and Lydia haven’t tried to strangle each other yet, Boyd hasn’t knocked Jackson unconscious, and Cora hasn’t bitch-slapped Isaac for groping her, so the night’s already a win in Derek’s book.

Derek guides Stiles to the entrance, telling him, “Come on, Stiles, our friends are waiting.”

Stiles lets out an annoyed groan, head lolling back as he and Derek make their way inside the building. The place is huge with the cashier up front, trampolines covering almost every surface, a big pit of foam squares sitting on one side, and several rows of lockers on the other.

Their group has already paid and the pair finds them placing their shoes and other belongings into lockers. Lydia is the first to notice them and smirks at the boys as she inquires, “Where did you guys run off to?”

Before either of them responds, Danny speaks up, “Probably couldn’t wait to find a dark corner to sneak off to so they could—”

Jackson cuts him off with a shout, complaining, “Oh my god, Danny, I _do not_ need to hear about what we all know Stiles and Hale get up to when they’re alone.”

Derek flushes from his hairline down to his toes at the sound of Jackson’s words. He doesn’t dare glance over at Stiles, instead staring determinedly at his shoes until Boyd speaks.

“Why, afraid you’ll like it too much?” He asks with a wide grin, causing everyone to laugh and for Jackson to scowl even as the tips of his ears turn pink.

“My baby the sass-master,” Erica says fondly, placing a kiss on her boyfriend’s lips. “I love this side of you.”

“I only learn from the best,” Boyd tells her with a shrug and a small smile.

Derek breathes a quiet sigh of relief when it appears as though their friends have moved on to a different topic other than his and Stiles’ non-existent relationship.

“Are we doing this or not?” Cora questions, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “Because I’m ready to kick all your asses at some dodgeball.”

“Oh, we’ll see about that,” Allison retorts as she pulls her hair up into a high ponytail and puts on her game face. “You’re going down, Hale.”

She and Cora continue to playfully trash talk each other while Scott sighs dreamily, gazing lovingly at his girlfriend. “Isn’t she amazing when she’s threatening bodily harm?”

Isaac agrees, though he only has eyes for the younger Hale. “Yeah, she is.”

Scott and Isaac trail after the girls they love, Boyd and Erica follow them with Danny and Ethan in tow. Jackson waits for Lydia, but she shoos him away in favor of focusing her attention on Stiles and Derek.

Once Jackson’s gone, Lydia turns to Stiles with crossed arms and a questioning stare that makes Derek a bit nervous but doesn’t seem to bother Stiles in the least. He must be used to her glaring at him that way.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she starts, “what were you guys doing?”

“Why do you always have to be so nosy, Lydia?” Stiles asks with a roll of his eyes.

“As your friend and general life consultant, it’s my job to be nosy,” she replies simply.

Stiles snorts, repeating her words mockingly, “General life consultant.”

Lydia narrows her eyes, pushing Stiles aside in favor of linking arms with Derek and walking with him over to the trampolines. She pats his arm as she says, “I can’t believe it’s taken you and me this long to finally have an actual conversation considering you’re Stiles’ best friend. We have _so much_ to discuss.”

She turns back around and Derek thinks she must mouth something to Stiles because he hears him let out a pathetic whine behind them before shouting, “Lydia Martin, _don’t you dare_!”

“Ignore him,” Lydia tells Derek, waving a dismissive hand, disregarding Stiles’ noise of outrage. When they get to the trampoline area, instead of joining the rest of their friends in the fray, they stay off to the side so Lydia can question Derek. “So, you and Stiles have been friends since you were little?”

Derek nods. “Yeah, basically all our lives.”

“That’s sweet,” she comments, actually sounding genuine and taking Derek by surprise. “You two must be really close then, probably know _all_ of each other’s secrets, right?”

Something about the way Lydia asks him this question makes Derek feel anxious, like maybe she knows more than what she’s saying. Derek’s line of thinking appears to be correct because when he doesn’t answer her right away, the young woman says, “It’s okay, you know, if you’re not ready yet…but you should definitely tell him.”

“ _Tell him_?” Derek squeaks, making a feeble attempt to feign ignorance, but Lydia quirks an eyebrow, reminding Derek way too much of the look his older sister would probably give him at this exact moment.

She shakes her head at him. “Don’t do that, Derek. Obtuseness is not a good look on you.”

They both laugh at that until Derek finds himself tackled to the trampoline-covered floor by Stiles, who literally came out of nowhere and knocked him down. The impact causes them to bounce a few times before they’re able to right themselves.

“Did she….? What did Lydia say to you?” Stiles questions frantically, and Derek stares at him, perplexed by this turn of events. What does Stiles think Lydia could possibly say to Derek that would make him so nervous?

“She just wanted to know how long we’ve been friends, that’s all,” Derek responds though he knows it’s a lie. “She didn’t get to say much else because you tackled me like you were out on the lacrosse field.”

“Oh.” Stiles is visibly relieved by this news but then a look of remorse covers his face as he apologizes for his behavior. “Sorry about that. Here, let me help you up.”

Derek accepts his hand, but when Stiles pulls him up the pair end up losing their balance and toppling backwards. Of course, curse his luck because Derek lands right on top of Stiles, bodies pressed together, green eyes meeting amber ones, and it’s all Derek can do not to take advantage of their compromising situation. He could lean in and kiss the surprised look Stiles would surely have right off his face.

He expects Stiles to push him off almost immediately but it doesn’t happen. They stay frozen in place; Derek on top of Stiles, staring down at him his cheeks probably flushed bright red. From this close up, he notices Stiles’ eyes are a shade darker than normal, probably a trick of the lighting, and Derek thinks he can feel his hands flittering at his sides as if they’re restless.

Derek’s fairly certain he imagines Stiles’ fingertips graze over his hips right before Erica calls out to them, “Boys, please, save it for later. We’re trying to play a game here.”

He scrambles quickly to pick himself up and get as far away from Stiles as possible…without making it look like he’s trying to get as far away from him as possible.

“We should play,” Derek suggests to Stiles, who’s still lying on the trampoline looking up at him with wide eyes. “Dodgeball,” he clarifies though he doesn’t need to. “We should play dodgeball.”

It takes a moment for Stiles to agree; he sits up, clearing his throat before speaking. “Yeah, okay. Sure, we can do that.”

Derek reaches out to pull Stiles up and fortunately they don’t go tumbling backwards again, but the pair does hold onto each other’s hands until Cora calls out to her brother.

“Come on, Derek, I need you on my team.”

He lets go of Stiles, who looks as though he wants to say something but is cut off by Allison’s voice.

“Get over here, Stiles.”

Stiles gestures to Derek as he starts to speak, “But I was gonna—”

Allison narrows her eyes dangerously at him because apparently the usually sweet and kind Allison Argent is very serious about the outcome of this dodgeball game, and Stiles releases a sigh. He gives Derek this look that the young man can’t seem to place before joining Allison’s team and standing by Lydia, who swats at his arm the moment he gets next to her. Derek goes over to Cora’s side, trying not to focus all of his attention on Stiles.

The referee for their game raises a hand as he asks, “Blue team, ready?” Allison’s team cheers before the ref turns to Cora’s side. “Red team, ready?” The group nods and the referee shouts, “Go!”

Both sides bounce to the middle of the floor to pick up balls and start to attack. Erica takes out Jackson almost immediately, cackling loudly as she does so. Boyd easily dodges a ball thrown by Danny while the ball Ethan tosses is caught by Lydia. Both Scott and Isaac allow Allison and Cora to tag them out and seem perfectly content to sit on the sidelines watching the girls battle it out

Derek and Stiles are staring each other down. Derek’s in defensive mode, ready to leap out of the way the moment Stiles throws his ball, but his friend doesn’t seem to be in a rush to attack.

Stiles simply stands there, tossing the ball in the air nonchalantly, and Derek furrows his eyebrows at him, relaxing his stance as he asks, “Aren’t you gonna throw that at me?”

“You want me to?” Stiles counters, still methodically tossing the ball.

“Well…no,” Derek replies honestly, “but isn’t that the point of the game?”

“To hit my best friend with a ball? That’s not cool. I don’t want to hit you with anything, not even if it’s just for fun,” he reveals, and Derek can’t help the smile that finds its way to his lips.

“You don’t?”

Stiles shakes his head no, and Derek’s just about to blurt out something incredibly stupid when Lydia announces, “Stiles won’t hit you…but I will.”

She throws her ball at Derek, hitting him right in the face and taking the young man by surprise when the force behind her throw actually causes him to fall back on the trampoline. Derek doesn’t even register what’s going on around him until he feels two strong hands pull him up and hears a concerned voice calling his name and muffled shouts in the background.

“Derek? Derek, are you okay?” Stiles asks, placing his hands on either side of Derek’s face and forcing the young man to stare into his eyes. “Say something so I know you’re okay.”

“Something,” the young man deadpans and a grin breaks out on Stiles’ face.

“Well, glad to know that hit hasn’t affected your sense of humor. Can you stand up?” Derek nods, and Stiles helps him to his feet.

It’s then that Derek realizes that Erica and Cora have come to his defense and are arguing with Lydia and Allison about Lydia hitting Derek. The guys appear to be watching the fight, unsure if they should step in and stop it or stay out of it for fear the ladies might turn their wrath on them.

“That was a pretty shitty thing to do, Lydia,” Erica complains, but Allison disagrees with her.

“It’s part of the game; if you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t be playing.”

Cora shouts, “You could’ve broken his nose or something!”

“But I didn’t,” Lydia points out, “he’s okay; Stiles has him.”

The four girls turn their gazes on him and Stiles, and Derek can’t help worrying about the expressions that cover their faces after her statement, like the wheels in their heads are spinning and they’re starting to plot something.

Derek isn’t concerned about the ladies for too long because Stiles is leading him over to sideline, announcing, “I’m out. The blue team will have to do their best to win without me, and you girls need to retract your claws, okay?”

“I think we’ll be fine,” Lydia says, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice as she and the other three ladies glance at each other, devious looks in their eyes. “Oh, and sorry about the hit, Derek. Sometimes I just don’t know my own strength.”

She winks at him, and Derek doesn’t even know how to respond, but as he glances over at Stiles, who is allowing Derek to put all of his weight on him even though he’s not even really hurt, he can’t help feeling a surge of affection for the young woman.

Stiles and Derek sit down at one of the tables in the dining area near the back of _Sky High_. Once they’re seated, Stiles moves in close to Derek, checking him over for any sign of injuries.

“How many fingers am I holding up?” He asks, waving two fingers in front of Derek’s face.

“Six,” Derek responds dryly, causing Stiles to roll his eyes.

“Be serious, Derek, we have to make sure you don’t have a concussion or something.”

“I don’t have a concussion,” he tells him. “The balls aren’t heavy, and Lydia didn’t even hit me that hard; she just surprised me, that’s all. I’m fine, so you can stop worrying, Stiles, okay?”

Stiles points to himself as says, “Best friend, here; I’m allowed to worry when someone hits you in the face…even if it’s a tiny, 5’3 strawberry blonde wielding a dodgeball.” The pair chuckles until Stiles places a hand on Derek’s chin, inquiring, “Are you sure you don’t need an ice pack or something?”

Derek’s cheeks grow warm and his mouth goes dry from Stiles’ simple touch, but he manages to reply, “I’m fine, Stiles, some of us don’t bruise like a peach from even the softest hits.”

Stiles exclaims, “Hey, that little girl I cut in front of that time at the ice cream parlor was a lot stronger than she looked, all right?”

“She was six, you were thirteen; you should’ve been able to hold her off with one hand.”

“She’d obviously been working out,” he insists. “No six year-old should have that good of a right hook.”

Derek laughs. “Yeah, okay.”

He’s still chuckling when Stiles asks in a more serious tone, “So…do you want me to take you home?”

Derek stares at him with wide eyes, taken aback by his question, and starts stammering out his own inquiry instead of answering him. “Why…Why would you ask me that?”

Stiles shrugs as he responds, “I didn’t know if you wanted to stay after getting hit the way you did. I thought you might want to go home, recuperate or something like that.”

“Oh my god, you’re acting like I just had a near-death experience. _I’m fine_ ,” Derek repeats for the third time. He then stands up from his chair, adding, “In fact, to show you that I’m okay I’ll…race you to the foam pit!”

He laughs at the outraged look on Stiles’ face before taking off in the opposite direction with Stiles shouting after him. “That’s not fair! You totally cheated! You played on my sympathy, Hale!”

Derek gets to the pit first and does a front flip into the foam just seconds before Stiles gets there. When he surfaces, Derek looks up to find Stiles standing over him, staring at him with this expression that’s hard for him to read.

“What?”

Stiles chuckles softly bending down to his eye level as he says, “You’re a dork, you know that, right?”

His words are said affectionately and Derek wants to bury himself into the foam pit to cover up his flushed face.

“Well, at least I’m not the dork who got himself pulled into a foam pit,” he counters and Stiles furrows his eyebrows.

“What are you—”

Derek catches the young man off-guard when he grabs his hand and tugs him into the pit beside him. Once Stiles emerges from the foam, he turns to glare at Derek, who can’t keep his amused grin at bay.

“That was real mature, Derek, very mature.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” he admits honestly. “You put yourself in prime position; I had to take advantage.”

Stiles scoffs lightly. “Oh, you _had_ to take advantage? Is that right?”

Derek laughs until one of the foam blocks hits him on the head. He narrows his eyes threateningly at Stiles as he questions, “Did you just…Did you just hit me?”

“I did,” Stiles responds simply.

“You said you wouldn’t hit me with anything.”

He replies, “Exceptions can be made. What are you going to do about it?”

It takes all of about three seconds before the two friends start hurling foam bricks at each other. Their fight is completely and utterly childish, and Derek knows other people must be giving them strange looks, but he doesn’t care. He and Stiles are having a great time together, even if it consists of them throwing pieces of foam at each other.

They’re laughing and shouting until Stiles yells, “Time-out! Time-out!” He makes the universal signal for a time-out, and Derek stops his attack. “I think I got something in my eye,” Stiles says, using one of his fingers to rub his eyelid.

Derek immediately moves in closer to check him for injuries, but he’s caught by surprise when Stiles jumps on him, burying Derek in foam blocks, and loudly declaring himself the winner of their battle.

When Derek finally manages to dig himself out of the foam, he sighs at his best friend, telling him, “You’re the worst, _ever_.”

Stiles dismisses his insult. “Yeah, sure, you’re just mad that I won.”

“By cheating,” Derek retorts. “You knew I’d let my guard down if I thought something happened to you.”

He immediately snaps his mouth shut after that sentence, realizing how it sounds to his own ears and feeling mortified about how Stiles might interpret it. Derek mutters a silent curse, attempting to bury himself back into the foam pile, but Stiles grabs ahold of his arms, forcing him to stay upright.

“I played dirty; I’m sorry, but if it makes you feel any better, I would’ve done the same thing for you,” he reveals with a soft smile, and Derek really does want to submerge himself in foam to keep Stiles from seeing the blush adorning his cheeks.

Fortunately for Derek, Stiles turns his attention away from him to focus on the sound of cheering and whooping coming from nearby. They see their group of friends coming their way, and Derek’s shocked by the camaraderie that seems to have developed between them in such a short amount of time. Erica and Lydia aren’t sniping at each other, Boyd, Danny, Ethan, and Jackson are conversing quite pleasantly, and Allison and Cora are sharing laughs while Scott and Isaac follow behind them.

“What in the hell is going on?” Stiles asks, climbing out of the pit and staring at his friends, his mouth gaping open comically. Derek follows his lead and once he’s out of the pit and standing beside him Stiles questions, “How did this happen?”

He gestures to the group, indicating their closeness, and they all roll their eyes at Stiles in unison, an impressive feat in Derek’s opinion.

“While you were two were busy groping each other in the foam pit—” Jackson drawls but is cut off by warning looks from both Lydia and Erica. Derek resists the urge to cover his face with his hands and doesn’t even chance a look over at Stiles.

Boyd finishes his thought, “We played a few games of dodgeball, found out we have some common interests, and we’re all kind of friends now.”

Derek does actually glance at Stiles this time to gauge his reaction; his friend looks absolutely ecstatic about this turn of events. “That’s awesome!” He exclaims, wrapping his arms around Erica and Lydia. “You guys are all friends now; it’s a miracle I never thought would happen.”

Stiles sobs dramatically and Erica shoves him away so that he lands right into Derek’s chest. How convenient. Derek instinctively catches Stiles, holds him by the biceps; their eyes meet and Derek swears he hears Stiles’ breath hitch just faintly though he must imagine it.

Derek snaps out of whatever stupor Stiles’ close proximity put him in, dropping his hands back down to his sides, when Danny clears his throat loudly. “When you guys are done making eyes at each other, we’ll be at the food court,” he tells them, patting Stiles’ shoulder with a grin. Ethan nudges him along playfully, scolding him a bit under his breath as they walk over to the dining area.

The rest of the group follow after them, and Derek does his best to ignore the grins Erica and Cora flash him as they pass by. Once they’re alone, Stiles surprises Derek by speaking up suddenly. “It’s great, right, that they’re friends now?”

Derek nods. “Sure. It only took like three years. They’re all so stubborn.”

“Yeah, I know,” Stiles agrees. “I have to admit I was nervous about this whole thing. I thought for sure that dodgeball game was going to turn into a production of _West Side Story_ or something.”

“Well, I’ve heard you sing more than a few times so you’d probably just be one of the background characters in that scenario,” Derek jokes, laughing at the offended look on Stiles’ face.

“Well, I’ve seen you dance more than a few times and you’d be lucky to be an extra,” he snipes right back, and Derek frowns.

“When have you _ever_ seen me dance?”

Stiles reminds him, “A few weeks ago when we’re having dinner at my house. We had on Pandora and that one Britney Spears song you pretend not to like came on and you started—”

Derek cuts him off by placing a hand over his mouth. “Okay, all right, we don’t need to relive that particular moment.” It takes him a minute to realize his hand is still covering Stiles’ mouth, that the boy’s amber eyes are watching him intensely, and that’s he’s not even trying to push him away.

Derek reclaims his hand suddenly, cursing softly as he does so. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Stiles assures him. “I just thought you wanted me to return the favor.”

“Return the favor?” He repeats, confused by the meaning of his words.

Stiles clarifies himself. “You know, from this morning.”

Derek’s still perplexed until he remembers exactly what he did to Stiles earlier that day, sucking his finger into his mouth. Color floods his cheeks, and he immediately starts to stammer.

“You think I’d…I wouldn’t…I’d never…”

Stiles places a comforting hand on his arm, effectively putting an end to his nonsensical rambling, as he tells him, “It’s okay. I’m just kidding, Derek.” The young man sighs in relief while Stiles asks, “That really makes you nervous, doesn’t it, the idea of you and me together?”

Derek doesn’t reply because he knows the answer he’d give would be completely different than what Stiles would expect. It would probably send him fleeing to the nearest exit. He decides it would be safer to change the subject altogether.

“I’m starving. We should go find everyone else and get something to eat; I’m buying.”

Stiles lights up at this news. “Ooh, you’re buying? Let’s get lobster or prime rib, you know, something reasonably priced like that.”

“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m pretty sure the menu here only consists of hamburgers, onion rings, and mozzarella sticks,” Derek informs him as Stiles pulls him over to the where their friends are sitting.

“You’re lucky I’m a cheap date then,” Stiles says with a smirk, causing Derek’s eyes to go wide.

He knows his friend is joking with him, but Derek can’t help the way his breathing gets shallow or the fluttering he feels in his stomach because of the statement. His feelings for Stiles only grow stronger with every moment they spend together, and these little comments he keeps making doesn’t help matters. Derek has to keep reminding himself that they’re only friends…no matter how much he wants more.

Derek and Stiles spend the rest of the evening bouncing around on trampolines and play fighting in the foam pit with their friends. When they finally decide to call it a night, everyone says their goodbyes and start to pile into their vehicles to head home. Derek’s just about to climb into the backseat of Boyd’s truck when Stiles calls out to him.

“I could give you and Cora a ride back if you want,” he offers, gesturing to his jeep.

Before Derek can reply, Cora says, “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m staying over at Erica’s tonight.”

“Scott’s, Allison’s, and Isaac’s houses aren’t too far away from Boyd’s so we can take them too, right, Boyd?” Erica suggests, not even bothering to hide the smile that’s crossing her lips.

Boyd agrees without hesitation. “Absolutely. Derek’s house is out of the way, so you’d be saving me some gas money, Stiles.”

“Always doing my best to help,” the young man says before glancing over at Derek, who doesn’t know whether to strangle his friends or give them hugs. “Is that okay with you?”

Derek notes that Allison, Scott, and Isaac are already making themselves comfortable in Boyd’s vehicle, Isaac managing to situate himself right next to Cora, and the young man feels as though this arrangement was planned ahead of time.

Faced with no other option, as if he’d really turn down an opportunity to spend more time with his best friend, Derek responds indifferently, “I guess so; I just hope we can get home without breaking down.”

Stiles laughs softly, jogging over to hop into the driver’s seat while Derek slides in on the passenger side. Lydia pulls her _Acura_ out of the parking lot at the moment, honking enthusiastically and calling out, “Have fun!” to Stiles and Derek.

Erica adds, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! Or do everything I wouldn’t do! Whatever floats your boat!”

She cackles as Boyd drives away, and Derek almost bangs his head against the dashboard because his friends, both old and new, are completely insane. “Maybe our friends becoming friends wasn’t the best idea,” he admits lowly.

Stiles places a hand over his heart as he speaks. “I did try to stop this from happening.” Derek glowers at him and Stiles fails to hold back a quiet chuckle. “Okay, I’m going, just stop with the intense eyebrows.”

Derek’s facial expression doesn’t change, and Stiles laughs outright at this point, turning the key in the ignition and starting the drive home. The pair spends the car ride cracking jokes and reminiscing about good times they’ve shared together. They’re still laughing about the time they went ice skating and Derek spent more time on his butt than on his feet when Stiles pulls up in front of Derek’s house.

“Well, here we are,” Stiles announces, putting the vehicle in park.

“Thanks for the ride home.”

“No problem.”

“So, should I expect you over for brunch tomorrow?” Derek jokingly asks, but he can’t help hoping Stiles shows up at his house again like he did this morning.

“I do make kick ass eggs benedict,” he reveals, “but no, I won’t be over tomorrow. My dad actually has the day off so him, me, and my mom are having a good old fashioned Stilinski family day. Eating meals together, watching movies, playing board games; I’m sure the whole day will be horribly cheesy.”

“And you’re going to love every second of it.”

Stiles divulges with a soft sigh, “Yeah, I probably will. Though I’m sure I can find time to text you between making waffles with my mom and calling my dad out for trying to steal all the money from the _Monopoly_ bank which I think is a tad bit ironic considering his job title.”

Derek laughs but then tries to sound nonchalant as he says, “Only if you have the time; I don’t want to keep you from spending time with your family. I know they’re important to you.”

“So are you.”

Derek’s breath catches in his throat after Stiles’ admission. He knows Stiles just means he’s important to him as a friend, but Derek can’t pretend he wouldn’t love for his words to mean more that what they do. He can’t stay in this jeep with Stiles any longer otherwise he’ll end up doing something incredibly unwise.

Derek speaks rather quickly as he reaches for the door and stumbles out of the vehicle. “Okay then, good night, Stiles.”

He almost succeeds in getting inside the house without further incident when Stiles calls out, “Hey, Derek?”

Derek reluctantly turns to answer him. “Yes?”

Stiles grins widely as he asks, “Am I really that bad of a singer? Because I’ve been told I have a lovely voice; I could’ve been on _Glee_.”

The young man laughs, shaking his head. “I don’t really think you want me to answer that, so good night.”

Stiles chuckles before responding, “Good night, Derek.”

Derek watches Stiles drive away, his heart full of affection for his best friend. He’s still smiling like a fool when he enters the house and finds his parents still up in the kitchen sharing a late night snack of milk and cookies.

“Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad.”

His parents greet him pleasantly before his father points out, “So, judging from the goofy grin you’ve got on your face, I’m assuming Stiles brought you home.”

Derek nods, taking a seat when his mother gestures to the chair between them. He grabs a cookie, chewing on it while his mother asks, “Did you have fun tonight?”

“I did,” he responds, popping the rest of the cookie into his mouth before adding, “it’s hard not to have fun when Stiles is involved. He always makes things interesting.”

“I hope those things Stiles makes so interesting are _safe_ interesting things,” his father says, putting emphasis on that one particular word and causing his son to drop his head down onto the breakfast bar.

“ _Seriously_?” Derek complains, turning his head to glance between his parents. “Stiles and I are friends.”

His mother and father aren’t convinced by this statement, and Derek releases a sigh. Even his own parents believe something more is going on between him and Stiles other than a platonic relationship.

Derek’s trying not to think about that when his mother speaks. “We just want you to be happy, Sweetheart.”

Charles quickly adds, “And make smart choices.”

The young man sits up, waving his hands in front of him. “Oh my god, stop, _please_ stop. I’m not even doing anything like that; I’ve _never_ done anything like that, and if I did, it wouldn’t be with Stiles because—”

Talia interrupts him, “Because you’re friends.”

Derek nods in agreement. “Exactly.” Before his parents can try to extend this conversation any longer, he stands up from his seat, heading towards the stairs. “I’m going to bed. Good night.”

He’s almost home free but his father’s voice stops him mid-step. “He looks at you the way your mother looks at me, and you talk about him the way I talk about her. You two may not be ready to see it yet, but it’s there.”

“What’s there?” Derek asks, unable to stop himself, and his mother smiles warmly at him.

“I think you already know,” she answers wisely, and Derek finds himself unable to respond.

He murmurs another quick “Good night” before racing upstairs and slamming his bedroom door shut behind him. Derek rests against the wood door, eyes closed, taking deep breaths.

His parents are clearly misinformed Derek reasons once he’s changed into his pajamas and is reclining on his bed. He might be in love…but Stiles? Stiles didn’t even bat an eye when Derek sucked his finger into his mouth, so he’s pretty sure the young man doesn’t have feelings for him. Hell, he’s probably not even _remotely_ attracted to him.

“That’s kind of depressing,” Derek mutters with a sigh. He turns over onto his stomach and buries his face in his pillow, planning to sleep the rest of the night and the entirety of the next day until he’s forced to go to school and see Stiles again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Derek, so blind, so utterly oblivious. More Sterek fluffy goodness to come.


	5. Derek Doesn't Do Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek, with a little help from the ladies, goes shopping for Stiles' birthday gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always comments and kudos are appreciated.

Predictably, Derek doesn’t get the chance to stay in bed all day like he wants to on Sunday. Cora, Erica, and a reluctant Boyd burst into his room by mid-morning, questioning him about Stiles and if they “finally got their shit together and hooked up” (Cora’s words). His friends and sister are disappointed by Derek’s news though, that he and Stiles aren’t together romantically and might never be.

“Because you’re a coward who won’t tell him the truth,” Erica exclaims, and Derek can’t say he disagrees with her. The foursome spend all of Sunday camped out in Derek’s room eating junk food and watching old movies. Derek tries not to check his phone every five minutes, looking for a text from Stiles.

When his phone does vibrate at a quarter past six, Derek nearly breaks his neck trying to snatch grab it off his nightstand. The girls laugh at his eagerness while Boyd looks as though he’s resisting the urge to roll his eyes but does manage a sympathetic glance.

The message from Stiles puts a grin on Derek’s face. He asks whether or not he should play _Monopoly_ as the racecar or the iron and then proceeds to spend the next few texts complaining about how the makers of the game replaced the iron token with a cat.

_A cat, Derek, seriously?!!!!!! No one could think of a more original idea than that?_

The pair texts back and forth for several hours about the most mundane subjects like who’d win in a fight between Coach Finstock and their chemistry teacher, Mr. Harris.  Stiles goes with Harris because _He’s got an evil look about him and you know I have a very perceptive eye for evil._

Which _Hairspray_ movie was better, the original or the musical? Derek loves the original but he’ll always have a soft spot for the musical since _Zac Efron was kind of hot in it._

And the most important question of all, which _Sailor Scout_ would you be? _Duh, it’s obvious I would be Sailor Jupiter; I feel like you should know this already, Derek._

They go on like this until after midnight when Stiles texts that the sheriff is knocking on his door, telling him to get to bed because he has school in the morning and that he’ll talk to him later.

Derek’s mood lightens considerably after his marathon texting session with Stiles, and he’s got an extra spring in his step when he walks into the high school on Monday morning.

He’s almost to his locker when he spots Stiles at the end of the hallway talking with Scott. Scott’s laughing and shoving at his friend’s shoulders while Stiles ducks his head, cheeks a light shade of pink.

Derek’s quite curious about what the pair could possibly be discussing that would be making Stiles react like that. He’s on his way to find out, but Lydia and Erica surprise him by taking hold of his arms and steering him away from Stiles.

“Can this wait until later?” He questions, glancing back at his friend, who finally notices him at this point. Stiles is halfway to grinning at him when he realizes the two girls are crowding around Derek and his eyes widen in panic.

Stiles rushes up the hall towards the trio, shouting, “No, no, no! Lydia, Erica, where are you taking him?!”

“Somewhere you don’t need to be at the moment,” Lydia replies, waving him away just as she did Saturday night but this time she has backup and Derek can’t help feeling nervous about the thought of Lydia and Erica together and what they could possibly be planning.

“Say goodbye to Stiles, Derek. You can see him later,” Erica adds, barely containing her smirk as she and Lydia walk with Derek, leaving Stiles to sulk.

Derek sees Scott reach out to pat his arm and say something he can’t quite hear from this distance but whatever Scott tells him makes Stiles flash a small smile in return.

Derek, on the other hand, is frowning, glancing between the two young women as they lead him down the hall and into one of the empty Biology classrooms where they sit him down and stand before him with crossed arms.

“What’s this about?” He asks, a weary expression covering his face.

“I’m throwing Stiles a surprise birthday party on Saturday at my lake house,” Lydia reveals, “and your presence at said birthday party is mandatory.”

Derek starts to speak, but Erica holds up a hand to stop him. “Uh-uh, I know what you’re about to say. ‘Me and Stiles always spend our birthdays together, giving each other longing looks and pretending we’re not head over heels for each other’.”

His mouth drops open in offense, and he tries, rather fruitlessly, to defend himself. “That’s not…I wasn’t going to…”

The girls roll their eyes at him, and he gives up trying to convince them he _wasn’t_ about to go into a whole spiel about him and Stiles celebrating their birthdays with each other. It’s been a tradition they’ve shared since they were children.

Stiles and Derek would go over to each other’s houses on their birthdays, exchange gifts, eat their favorite foods, watch movies, play video games, and gorge themselves on birthday cake. Even after Stiles found himself surrounded by new friends, they still spent their birthdays together. Derek counts those two days as the best ones of the year for him.

“And don’t even think about trying to get out of this, Derek,” Lydia warns, “because if I have to spend the night plying Stiles with alcohol to make up for the fact his best friend decided to bail on him at his party, I will have to hurt you, and I don’t want to do that.”

Derek fully believes that despite her small stature Lydia would totally kick his ass.

“You won’t have to,” Erica says, “because Derek’s going to this party and he’s going to give Stiles the most amazing gift that knocks him off his feet.”

The young man curses under his breath. Stiles’ birthday is on Saturday, and he has absolutely no clue what to give him. His face must give him away because Lydia rounds on him with narrowed eyes.

“You do have a gift for Stiles, don’t you?”

The young man squeaks out his response. “ _No_.”

Lydia sighs, covering her face with her hands, but Erica’s not worried the way she is. “It’s fine. We’ll just go out after school and find something.”

Derek immediately declines her offer. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go today; I have homework, and I was kind of hoping…”

He doesn’t finish his thought, doesn’t really need to because it’s fairly obvious what he’s planning to say. Derek’s hoping to spend the afternoon with Stiles, getting some homework done but most likely goofing off more than anything else. Too bad Lydia nips this idea in the bud.

“Stiles has cross-country practice this afternoon, so you’ll have all the time in the world to go out with us to get him a gift. Allison should come with us; she has exquisite taste.”

“Cora would be a big help too,” Erica adds. “She’ll keep us entertained while Derek sweats over what to get Stiles.”

Lydia agrees. “True. So, it’s settled; we’ll meet at the main entrance at 3:30.”

The two ladies seem satisfied with this plan, but Derek’s not onboard with it. “This really isn’t necessary. I don’t need all of you to come with me to buy a gift for Stiles; I’ve been doing it for years and haven’t had any complaints so far.”

“But it’s his eighteenth birthday; don’t you want to get him something special, something’s that’s not a DVD?” Erica asks, and Derek grimaces because for the past few years that’s all he’s given Stiles.

DVDs have always been an easy gift to give Stiles. Whether it be the complete _Twilight_ collection last year (Stiles claims he only watches the movies ironically, but Derek swears he saw him shed a tear at the end of _Breaking Dawn part 2_ ), all four seasons of _The OC_ (He’s kind of in love with Summer Roberts), or the time Derek found _The Brave Little Toaster_ in a bargain bin and Stiles went crazy and made them watch it three times in a row.

“Maybe I _should_ try branching out a bit,” he says, looking a bit sheepish, and the girls grin at him.

“Main entrance, 3:30,” Lydia reiterates before the trio walk out of the room together.

Derek’s still not sure if allowing Erica and Lydia to drag him to the mall to pick out a gift for Stiles is the best idea, but he supposes it won’t be _that_ bad.

As they’re walking back to the school’s main hallway, Erica surprises him when she points to his feet and says, “I hope those shoes are comfortable because we’re going to be doing _a lot_ of walking.”

Derek releases a heavy sigh; so maybe shopping with them _will be_ that bad. He’s reconsidering the idea when Stiles appears at his side looking somewhat flustered. Derek wants to ask him why but doesn’t get the opportunity because Stiles poses his question first.

“So…what were you three talking about? Lydia and Erica didn’t waste any time pulling you away this morning so it must have been important.”

Derek’s not very quick on his feet because the lie that comes out of his mouth isn’t even remotely believable. “They just…had a few questions about our Trig homework, that’s all.”

He can tell from Stiles’ body language that he’s skeptical of his answer. Stiles folds his arms, closing the space between them, and Derek nearly swallows his tongue. “Lydia Martin, the girl with the 4.6 GPA, had a question about Trigonometry? She’s practically teaching her section.”

The young man manages a nonchalant shrug in response though his heart is racing from Stiles’ closeness. “Go figure. I guess there’s a first time for everything, huh?”

Stiles nods slowly in agreement. “Sure. I guess so.” Derek expects him to back up at this point, but his best friend stays where he is, right up in Derek’s personal space. “Funny you should mention first times because—”

The warning bell rings, interrupting whatever Stiles planned to say, and Derek points behind him. “I have class.”

“Me too. Ditch with me?” Stiles suggests randomly, and Derek’s whole face goes red at the proposition. He immediately starts babbling about the importance of school and how they need to finish their senior year with good grades while Stiles grins at him.

“I’m just playing, Derek,” he assures him, finally backing off some so he’s not so close, and Derek kind of hates it. “Go to class; I’ll see you later.”

“Okay, see you.”

Derek starts to move pass him, but Stiles steps in the same direction and gets in his way. Derek apologizes before trying a second time to go by him, but Stiles does the same thing again, smiling cheekily at the annoyance on his friend’s face.

“I feel like you’re doing this on purpose,” Derek says, and Stiles shakes his head.

“ _No_. Why would you think that?”

They stare each other down for a moment until Derek makes a move to get by him, and Stiles stops him for a third time. Derek huffs out a breath while Stiles laughs.

“Your face is killing me!”

“We’re going to be late,” Derek points out unable to stop the chuckle that escapes his lips over the ridiculousness of this situation. “My class is all the way on the other side of the building!”

“I’m sorry,” Stiles apologizes but doesn’t truly look the part, and Derek can’t even find it in himself to be mad.

“No, you’re not.”

Stiles doesn’t try to argue with him, but he won’t move out of his way either. Releasing a sigh, Derek places his hands on Stiles’ waist and lifts him easily, moving him aside to clear his path. Once he puts him down, Stiles gazes at him wide-eyed, and Derek honestly has no clue how to interpret the look.

Stiles appears as though he wants to say something but is cut off by the sound of a shrill whistle and a loud voice shouting, “Stilinski…and friend!”

Both Derek and Stiles turn to see Coach Finstock standing at the end of the hall looking livid, and Stiles winces when the older man strides over to them. “You two heard the warning bell; get to class!”

“Calm down, Coach, what did Greenberg do to piss you off this morning?” Stiles inquires.

Greenberg, a lowly player on the lacrosse team, is the bane of Coach Finstock’s existence for some unknown reason. Students have spent years speculating about Finstock and Greenberg but no one knows for sure why he despises the young man so much.

“Nothing yet, but it’s still early,” Finstock replies. “Anyway, move it you two before I start handing out detention slips!”

Stiles bats his eyes. “You wouldn’t give your favorite player detention, would you, Coach?”

Finstock crosses his arms, glaring him down. “Don’t test me, Stilinski.”

He puts his hands up in defeat. “Okay, all right, I’m going.”

Stiles starts down the hall toward his class, turning to wave in parting. Derek waves back, probably looking like a sad puppy as he does so. He watches Stiles leave, longing etched all over his features, until Finstock clears his throat, gesturing his head back in the opposite direction.

Derek takes the hint and begins the trek to his first period class, hoping the rest of the school day goes by quickly. It doesn’t. Each of his classes drags on for what feels like forever, and to make matters worse, he only sees Stiles again during lunch.

They meet again briefly after their last period classes, but Derek can barely get two words out before Allison and Lydia are leading him out of the school to Lydia’s car where Cora and Erica are already waiting for them.

“Get in, loser, we’re going shopping,” Erica says, clearly pleased with herself for the reference.

Derek rolls his eyes. “You’ve been waiting all day to use that, haven’t you?”

His friend grins in response, and the young man sighs, already feeling so done over the prospect of spending the rest of his afternoon shopping with the girls.

“You know, I’ve changed my mind,” he states suddenly. “I think I’m just going to order Stiles that _Toy Story_ box set he’s been wanting. I’ve got free two-day shipping so it’ll get here in plenty of time. That means there’s absolutely no need for this shopping excursion.”

“He’s adorable, isn’t he?” Cora reaches out to squeeze her brother’s cheeks, but he shoos her away.

Allison agrees, patting him on the shoulder genially. “Very. He actually thinks he’s going to get out of this. Spoiler alert: you’re not getting out of this. When Lydia Martin sets her sights on something, she gets it, no questions asked.”

“And right now my mission is to help you find Stiles a birthday gift that doesn’t require the use of a Blu-ray player.” Lydia lets out a noise of disgust, personally offended by just the idea of it.

Erica pulls him to the vehicle, opening the door and shepherding him inside. “Just get in the car, Derek. Life will be _so_ much easier that way.”

Derek grumbles as he slides into the car, joined by Cora and Erica in the backseat. Allison sits up front with Lydia, who starts the car and drives them over to Beacon Hills’ shopping center. There are tons of shops and boutiques along with various carts placed around the ground level of the mall.

With so many options, Derek doesn’t even know where to start. He’s thinking about heading to an electronics store and maybe getting Stiles some new headphones since the ones he uses now have a short in them and he refuses to give them up, but Lydia stops him. She steers him in the direction of _Macy’s_ , but Derek digs in his heels, refusing to budge.

“What in the world do you think Stiles would want from here, a blender or a set of luggage?” The young woman ignores his question and with the help of the other three ladies manages to get Derek inside the popular department store.

They walk over to the men’s section with Derek frowning the whole time as he skims over the racks of dress shirts and ties. “I don’t think Stiles would like any of this stuff,” he comments, picking up a scarf to check the price tag. He scoffs, immediately putting it back down upon seeing how much the small piece of fabric costs.

“Stiles is turning eighteen,” Cora reminds him. “He might want a more adult present, like a bottle of cologne.”

“Or a nice shirt,” Allison suggests.

“Or this pair of jeans that would make his ass look _amazing_ ,” Erica blurts, holding up a pair of red jeans that probably would fit Stiles nicely. “Give him these, tell him they’d look fantastic on him but would look even better on your bedroom floor.”

Derek’s face heats at the implication, and he snatches the pants away from his amused friend, putting them back on the rack while she smirks. “This was _such_ a bad idea,” he mutters under his breath.

They search through racks and racks of clothes but nothing catches Derek’s eye. They then head to the shoe department to check out the footwear; Derek gives up about five minutes into the hunt, claiming none of the pairs would work for Stiles.

They’ve been looking for nearly two hours when Lydia leads them over to the jewelry section, pointing to a case of watches. “How about a watch?”

Derek doesn’t instantly oppose the idea, and he knows Lydia probably counts that as a win. Stiles does have trouble getting to places on time so maybe a watch might be useful for him. Derek looks through their choices, trying to find one he thinks Stiles might like.

He settles on a silver one with all the bells and whistles that costs him a nice chunk of change, but it’ll be worth it seeing the watch on Stiles’ arm and knowing he wears something on a daily basis that Derek gave to him.

Once he’s made his purchase, Derek treats the girls to churros from one of the food carts. They walk around the mall together, pointing out different things they’d like to buy while enjoying their food.

“I think Stiles is going to love that watch,” Allison states once they stop walking and decide to take seats near the fountain at the center of the mall.

“I hope so,” Derek says. “It would absolutely suck to give him something he doesn’t even want.”

Cora waves her hand airily. “Oh please, you could give Stiles an empty potato sack and he’d still look at you like you gave him the _Crown Jewels_.”

Erica concurs. “Seriously. I mean, I’ve never seen two people so obviously in love and yet so obviously blind to it.”

“I’ve told you before; Stiles doesn’t think of me that way. I’d know if he did,” Derek reminds them. He notices Lydia and Allison share a significant glance but refuses to ask them about what it could mean. Allison starts speaking so he doesn’t get the chance to inquire about it anyway.

“I can’t wait to see his face when you give him that watch.”

“He’ll probably die of shock that Derek gave him something he doesn’t need a television or a computer to enjoy,” Erica jokes.

“I’m taking video of the moment to keep it for prosperity,” Cora decides, and Derek runs a nervous hand over the back of his neck.

“Actually, I was planning on giving Stiles his gift in private,” he reveals, causing three of the girls to “ooh” at him and Derek ducks his head, trying to hide the light shade of pink covering his cheeks.

Lydia wholeheartedly approves of his plan. “You should definitely do that. In fact, since the party will be contained to the downstairs and outside areas, I’ll give you full use of one of the spare bedrooms so you and Stiles can have some time to yourselves.”

“You’d do that?” Derek asks in disbelief.

“Yeah,” she retorts. “I love Stiles, you love Stiles. I just want him to be happy, and I’m pretty sure he’s happiest when he’s with you.”

Derek smiles at the young woman, whispering his thanks, and Lydia grins back at him. The young man can breathe easier now that he’s got his gift for Stiles. Now all he has to worry about is attending a party full of people Derek doesn’t even know. He hates the idea, but he’ll deal with it as long as Stiles is happy.

It’s after eight by the time Derek and Cora return home from their evening out with the rest of the girls. After speaking to their parents, the siblings retire to their own rooms. Derek’s working on the second draft of his lit paper when his phone rings. He smiles upon seeing Stiles’ picture on the screen and answers it on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Dory’s monologue to Marlin gets me every single time. I mean, ‘When I look at you, I’m home’? I was not supposed to get this emotional over an animated movie. Damn you, _Pixar_!”

Derek chuckles softly, closing up his laptop and reclining on the bed. “You know, most people wouldn’t even know what you were talking about if they answered your call and you started the conversation like that.”

Stiles responds, “Well, you’re not most people; you always get me.”

He smiles at his friend’s words but then says, “There was that one time when you went on a rant about the first _Spiderman_ trilogy, and I still have no clue what you were talking about.”

“I was hopped up on three bags of candy and six cans of Mountain Dew,” Stiles reminds him. “I couldn’t be held responsible for what I said about Tobey Maguire in that moment.” The two boys laugh until Stiles asks, “So, how was your afternoon with all those lovely ladies?”

“A bit exhausting,” Derek admits honestly, “but okay for the most part.” The girls can be somewhat demanding and intimidating, but they’re good people, and Derek’s glad all four of them are a part of his life. “Lydia’s…interesting.”

“That’s putting it mildly. Do I even want to know what she had you doing?” He questions but the quickly backtracks. “Actually, now that I think about it, yeah, I do. Describe your entire afternoon in vivid detail so I can get a good image of it in my mind. She turned you into her own personal Ken doll, didn’t she? I bet Erica and Cora loved that; tell me they took pictures.”

Stiles sounds positively gleeful and Derek almost wishes he could indulge him with tales of Lydia and Allison dressing him in designer suits, but he’s grateful he wasn’t the focus of their shopping trip.

“There’s no photographic evidence to speak of. Sorry.”

“Damn, I’ll just have to use my imagination then.”

Derek flushes, thankful that they’re speaking over the phone so Stiles can’t see the reddish tint of cheeks. He clears his throat before asking, “What part of the movie are you on?”

“Dory just got all her memories back,” Stiles answers. “Dory was so awesome; what kind of fish was she anyway?”

“A blue tang,” Derek replies without even thinking about it and hears Stiles sigh on the other end.

“You’re so fucking smart,” Stiles says, tone reverent, and Derek murmurs a quiet thanks in response. Neither of them speaks for a moment until Stiles blurts out, “I want a fish like Dory. That would be amazing, watching it swim around all day, wondering if it has short-term memory loss.”

Derek laughs. “I doubt an actual blue tang would be inflicted with that particular ailment, but they can be pretty fragile, so it might be kind of tough to take care of one.”

Stiles actually sounds disappointed by this news. “Well, that sucks. I guess I’ll have to settle for a normal goldfish then.”

“You think a goldfish would be able to survive with you as its owner?”

Stiles gasps dramatically. “I’m deeply wounded, Derek. You honestly don’t believe I could take care of a _goldfish_?”

“Are you forgetting our fifth grade class pet Happy the hamster died on your watch?” Derek reminds him, and Stiles is silent for a moment, no doubt trying to think of a suitable comeback.

When he finally speaks again, he says, “ _Yeah_ …I got nothing. Happy’s death was senseless, and I will live each day regretting its untimely demise.”

“You broke the hearts of twenty-five kids.”

“I don’t think Mrs. Davis ever forgave me either,” he adds, referring to their fifth grade teacher. “She still gives me the evil eye whenever I run into her around town. I think Happy was her only friend.”

Derek can’t hold back his laughter, scolding his friend for making an unfortunate situation comedic. “You’re awful, you know that?”

“Yup, but you still like me anyway, so I’m good.”

Derek doesn’t think Stiles means for his voice to go all soft and deep when he speaks but it does, and his tone sends shivers down the young man’s spine.

“I should go,” Derek says suddenly. “Still have some homework to finish.”

“Of course you do. Can’t let that ridiculously high GPA of yours slip now, can you? What’s it up to now, 5.8? Is something like that even possible?” Stiles inquires, and Derek knows he’s grinning as he asks.

“See you tomorrow, Stiles,” he says, not bothering to answer Stiles’ question.

“‘Night, Smarty-pants.”

Derek smiles at his phone like an idiot after Stiles hangs up but then his facial expression changes to a more determined one when he remembers what Stiles said. An idea occurs to him, one that would be amazing if he can pull it off in time.

He glances over at the watch he bought for Stiles that’s sitting on his nightstand and decides he’s going to return it the first chance he gets. Derek opens his laptop back up and starts a search, hoping to find the answers he’s looking for before Saturday night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I should probably warn you all in advance that the next chapter is when things start to get a little more..."complicated" between Derek and Stiles if you catch my drift. *winks* Update coming soon!


	6. Derek isn't the Biggest Fan of Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles' birthday party is a night to remember for both the birthday boy and Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving the kudos and comments. You guys are awesome!

The rest of the week goes by surprisingly fast for Derek. Before he knows it, Saturday evening has arrived, and the young man has the jitters. Derek’s not exactly big on social events, hanging with his close friends is one thing but attending a party filled with tons of people he doesn’t know is a completely different story.

“We’ll all be there with you,” Cora reminds him as she and Boyd lounge in Derek’s room. The party is scheduled to begin in an hour, but Derek is having second thoughts about attending.

“I don’t really have to go, do I?” He asks, sitting up from his spot on the bed. “I mean, there’s probably going to be so many people that Stiles won’t even notice I’m not there, right?”

His friend and sister glance sideways at each other, but it’s Boyd who speaks up. “I’m pretty sure Stiles would notice if his best friend is a no-show at his birthday party.”

Derek releases a groan, knowing Boyd is right. As much as it pains him, he’ll endure this party for Stiles’ sake. “It’s going to be a long night,” he says with a sigh.

“Oh, stop being so dramatic; you’ll be fine,” Erica assures him. She’s inside his closet, pulling out random pieces of clothes until settling on the best outfit.

When Erica emerges from the closet with a green Henley and dark jeans in hand, she says, “This shirt brings out the color of your eyes and these jeans make your ass look phenomenal. Not as phenomenal as Boyd’s but pretty damn close.”

Boyd grins at her. “Thank you, Baby.”

Erica blows him a kiss before tossing the clothes at Derek’s head. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get dressed! We have a party to attend…wow, I _never_ thought I’d hear myself say those words.”

Derek scowls down at the clothes as if they’ve personally offended him and then stands up from the bed, grumbling all the way to the bathroom. Once he returns fifteen minutes later clad in the outfit, he needed an extra ten minutes to convince himself that going to this party is actually a good idea, the trio catcalls him.

The young man rolls his eyes in response, leading the way out of his room. “Let’s just go before I change my mind.”

The four friends spend the car ride to Lydia’s lake house talking, singing, and laughing, and Derek is actually feeling pretty good, not as nervous as he previously was. He keeps checking his jacket pocket to make sure the simple, white envelope is still there. Derek hopes Stiles likes his gift; some people might think it’s cheesy, but he prays Stiles isn’t one of them.

When they get to the house, a large chocolate-brown Adirondack, there are already a ton of cars parked outside. With so many people there, Derek knows students from neighboring high schools must also be in attendance. As soon as the group gets out of Boyd’s truck, the sound of rowdy partygoers and thumping bass beats greets their ears.

Derek and his companions walk to the door and find it already open. The house is filled to the brim with people, but fortunately due to the home’s open floor plan the space doesn’t seem as crowded.

After getting bumped by a slew of inebriated teenagers, Derek wants to call it a night already even though they haven’t even been there longer than five minutes. He starts to retreat back to the truck, but the trio stops him, practically dragging him further into the house.

“We know parties aren’t your thing, but this is for Stiles,” Erica reminds him.

Cora adds, “So suck it up.”

Derek looks to Boyd for help, but he doesn’t offer any, just shrugs as he says, “You heard the ladies.”

Releasing a soft sigh, the young man accepts his fate; he won’t be leaving this party anytime soon. They start to make their rounds, hoping to spot Lydia or Allison or someone they remotely recognize.

The group manages to find Danny, Ethan, and Isaac among the throng of people. The trio greets them, and Isaac lights up when he sees Cora. He wastes no time asking her to dance and Cora agrees. Boyd and Erica decide to hit the dance floor as well, leaving Derek to converse with Danny and Ethan.

“Stiles is going to flip when he sees you here,” Danny comments after taking a sip of his drink. “You should hear the way he talks about you when we’re at parties. ‘Derek wouldn’t like this music.’ ‘Derek would never drink this.’ ‘Do you think Derek would ever dance on a table like Julia Stiles?’ It’s quite sad.”

Derek gapes at Danny while Ethan elbows his boyfriend in the side, reprimanding him as he does so. “He’s exaggerating,” Ethan claims with a chuckle though Derek swears he murmurs something that sounds like, “Stiles is going to kill you” under his breath to Danny, who doesn’t appear worried in the slightest by the threat.

“He’s not here yet?” Derek questions off-handedly, and Danny grins at his horrible attempt at playing it cool.

He responds, “Nope, but Lydia said him, Scott, and Allison are about ten minutes away, so they should be here soon.”

Derek’s eyes scan the room for the strawberry blonde; his eyebrows furrow when he doesn’t spot her in the crowd. “Where is Lydia anyway?”

“Out back with Jackson,” Ethan responds. “She’s double-checking that the fireworks go off without a hitch.”

“Fireworks?” Derek repeats in disbelief, and Danny laughs at his reaction.

“This is a Lydia Martin party we’re talking about. Of course there’s going to be fireworks, probably literally and figuratively. You should probably prepare yourself.”

The smirk that crosses Danny’s lips at the moment makes Derek a tad bit nervous. It must show on his face because Ethan starts to pull Danny away as he says, “Come on, Boyfriend, I’ll let you do a shot off my abs.”

Danny agrees to the suggestion and lets himself be tugged away by Ethan. Derek watches the couple leave feeling strange about what Danny said. What did he mean? What could Derek possibly have to prepare himself for? And why did he have to give him false hope about Stiles?

Derek’s fairly certain anything Stiles has ever said about him in a party atmosphere is most likely the result of too much alcohol and shouldn’t be held against him.

Derek tries not to let Danny’s words affect him as he makes his way through the house to the kitchen. A large group is gathered around a keg in there, but Derek bypasses them, walking to the sliding doors that lead to the backyard.

When he gets outside, Derek finds Lydia and Jackson standing side-by-side on the dock giving orders to the older gentleman setting up the fireworks display on a floating platform in the lake.

Lydia has just given her seal of approval to the man getting the display ready when she notices Derek and greets him with a hug. He and Jackson acknowledge each other with nods before Lydia says, “You didn’t chicken out; I’m impressed, Derek.”

Derek frowns slightly. “Thanks, I guess. So, I talked to Danny; he said Stiles would be here soon.”

“Allison just texted that they’re five minutes away,” Jackson tells them, glancing up from his phone. “So you won’t have too much longer to wait to see your boyfriend.” Lydia glares at him, and Jackson puts his hands up innocently. “What? I wasn’t trying to be condescending for once. Derek likes Stiles, and Stiles—”

Lydia cuts off his sentence as she starts pushing the two young men back to the house. “Stiles is almost here. We’ve got to get ready, cut the music, turn off all the lights, and tell everyone to shut up!”

She herds them both back into the house and once Lydia goes over to the DJ booth, because of course Lydia’s paid for a DJ, she tells him to turn off the music and speaks into the microphone to make an announcement. “Stiles will be here in a minute.” The partygoers cheer loudly, and Lydia shushes them. “Be quiet! This is supposed to be a surprise party!”

The crowd cheers again and Lydia just rolls her eyes, putting the microphone back in its stand and stepping down off the platform. Erica and Boyd rejoin Derek, who instead of moving closer to the door and being one of the first people to greet Stiles when he arrives has drifted towards the back of the room.

“What are you doing?” Erica asks, attempting to move him forward. “Get your ass up front!”

Derek responds, “Everyone’s going to crowd around him when he gets here. I don’t want to be in the way.”

Erica sighs exasperatedly. “You’re the only one Stiles really wants to see.”

“He’s got other friends,” he points out, and even Boyd can’t hide his annoyance over the way Derek’s behaving.

“None like you. Go up front.”

“I’m good back here,” he assures his friends and the pair slumps against each other, sighing in unison.

“He’s here!” Lydia shouts and the DJ cuts off the music while someone turns off the lights as well.

The crowd quiets down and when the door to the house opens, Derek hears Stiles’ voice. “You know, I’m as kinky as the next person but is this blindfold really necessary?”

When Scott removes the blindfold from his eyes, the lights cut back on and everyone yells, “Surprise! Happy birthday, Stiles!”

Just as Derek expected, every person in the vicinity surrounds Stiles, who waves a hand at them and says, “Aww, guys, you shouldn’t have!”

Derek watches Stiles interact with every single person who comes up to wish him well, loving the genuine smile that lights up on his face when he sees someone else he knows.

After being essentially non-existent for all these years, Stiles deserves all of the affection he receives from his friends. Derek’s happy for him, happy that the young man finally has everything he wants.

Stiles is busy at the moment, so Derek decides to step away for a few minutes. He points to the kitchen, telling his friends, “I’m gonna get a drink.”

“But you haven’t even seen Stiles yet,” Erica complains with folded arms.

“I’ll talk to him later.”

Boyd and Erica try to stop him from leaving, but Derek assures them he’ll be back. He glances at Stiles one last time and notices that his friend is no longer paying attention to the conversations taking place around him.

His head keeps twisting back and forth and with the way he’s hopping up and down trying to get a better view of the crowd Stiles appears to be searching for someone.

Derek sees his shoulders drop and a small frown cross his lips when Stiles apparently doesn’t spot the person he’s looking for. He whispers something to Scott, who looks perplexed by whatever Stiles says to him and immediately grabs Lydia’s arm to garner her attention.

Lydia rolls her eyes after Scott finishes speaking to her and then goes back to the DJ booth to make yet another announcement.

“Derek Hale, get your ass over here _right now_!” She shouts, her voice ringing loudly through the speakers. Derek’s eyes widen while his friends laugh beside him.

“You better go before she hurts you,” Boyd warns with a smile.

Erica adds, “And I won’t even try to stop her.”

Derek scowls at the pair, not even surprised by their lack of loyalty to him, before squeezing his way through the crowd over to where the DJ’s set up and finds Stiles already there looking anxious until he spots Derek. Stiles beams at him and rushes over to his side, stopping a few steps short of barreling into him.

“You’re here,” he says breathlessly. “I didn’t think you would be here, but I was wrong. You’re here.”

“I think we’ve established that,” Derek jokes but then feels himself flush when Stiles moves closer to him.

“You hate parties and yet you’re here…for me.” The young man tacks on the last part of his statement in a soft voice that causes goosebumps to rise on Derek’s arms.

“I wouldn’t say I hate parties,” Derek admits, running a hand through his hair. “I might not be the biggest fan of them, but I don’t _hate_ them. And I’m not only here for you.”

Stiles lifts a questioning eyebrow at him. “ _Oh_? So, why else would you be here?”

“I was told there’d be…spinach dip,” Derek improvises quite horribly. “Can’t have a good party without spinach dip, can you?”

“I guess not.” Stiles then grins at Derek before asking, “So, aren’t you going to wish me happy birthday?”

Derek considers a snarky retort but decides against it, choosing instead to smile warmly and say, “Happy birthday, Stiles.”

Stiles seems surprised by his response and Derek thinks he sees the tips of his ears turn pink but it could just be the lights playing tricks on his eyes. “Thanks.”

Derek notices his best friend seems a bit nervous about something. Stiles’ hands are moving at his sides and he keeps opening his mouth like he wants to say something but then quickly stopping himself from doing so.

When it finally appears as though he might actually speak, Stiles’ words are cut off by a loud voice at his side. A pretty blonde junior who Derek thinks is named Heather shouts, “Shots for the birthday boy!” causing the group to cheer their approval. She grabs Stiles’ hand and drags him away, leaving Derek by himself until Cora emerges from the crowd, surprisingly without Isaac.

“Where’s Isaac?” Derek asks, searching for the tall, curly-haired boy.

She replies, “Talking to a friend of his. Was that Heather I just saw pulling Stiles away?”

“Yup,” he retorts, hoping the bitterness in his tone isn’t too obvious. Too bad Cora picks up on his irritation right away.

“You know if you’re jealous of Heather spending time with Stiles, you could just go over there and steal him away from her,” she suggests, gesturing over to where Stiles and Heather are in the middle of a circle, downing shots.

Well, now that Derek is really looking at them, he realizes Heather’s the only one of the two actually drinking. Stiles is just watching her with an amused expression.

Cora adds, “I’m sure Stiles wouldn’t mind your company.”

His sister might be right, but Derek isn’t really the type to butt into anyone’s conversation. He usually actively tries to avoid talking to people if he can help it. Outside of his family, Stiles, Boyd, and Erica are the only people he’ll willingly have a conversation with.

And even then sometimes those conversations consist of him just lending a friendly ear while Stiles complains about lacrosse practice or Erica threatens bodily harm against her History teacher for giving her a B on a paper. So, no, Derek’s _definitely_ not going over there to try and pull Stiles’ attention away; he’s most _definitely not_.

“You’re going over there,” Erica says, reappearing at his side, and Derek groans in response.

“No, I’m not. This is Stiles’ party; he has tons of friends. I’m not going to be greedy and monopolize his time.”

“You’re such a scaredy cat,” the young woman grumbles but then grins suddenly. “Well, if you aren’t going to take the opportunity to get Stiles alone, then that means you have time to get out on the floor and dance.”

Derek exclaims, “What?! No, that’s not happening either.”

“What’s not happening?” Scott asks as he and Allison walk over hand-in-hand. Derek’s kind of surprised they’re not with Stiles but doesn’t question them about it.

“Derek dancing is a thing that’s happening,” Cora replies, and Derek rolls his eyes at her.

“ _No_ , it’s not.”

“ _Yes_ , it is,” Erica and Cora say in unison, and Allison laughs, pushing Scott into the fray.

“Scott will dance with you.”

Derek expects Scott to immediately decline, but the young man seems all too willing to comply with his girlfriend’s suggestion.

“Let’s do it. Hey, Isaac!” Scott calls out to his friend, who has just joined them and is passing a drink to Cora. “We’re dancing.”

Isaac agrees without hesitation. “Cool. I’m in.”

Derek waves his hands out in front of him even as the two young men lead him over to the large bar separating the kitchen from the living area. “I’m not doing this, but you guys are more than welcome to dance without me.”

“Come on, Derek, live a little,” Scott says, clapping him on the shoulder. Derek wants to glare at him, but something about Scott makes it almost impossible to do so. No wonder he and Stiles are friends; they both have those sad puppy dog eyes down to a science.

Derek simply sighs and shocks his group of friends when he climbs up on the bar just as the opening of an infamous song begins.

_Talk Dirty_ blares through the speakers and though Derek absolutely despises (“Oh whatever, you know you love this song,” Stiles had said when it came on the radio while they were in the car together) the ridiculous song, he still finds himself moving his hips to the beat.

When the crowd realizes what he’s doing, dancing on the bar like a complete idiot, they start cheering him on. Scott, Isaac, and Danny, who has reappeared with Ethan and seems to be a bit buzzed, join him on the bar, probably looking less ridiculous than Derek does. The four men dance and shake their asses while the rest of their friends watch, laughing loudly and taking pictures.

Once the song ends, they receive a thunderous round of applause from the partygoers. The foursome get down off the bar, and even after the crowd has gone back to their own devices, Derek’s friends are still cheering for him.

Derek places his hands over his face and is about to start admonishing his companions when he realizes Stiles is standing with them, gaping at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“You…You just…You…” Stiles seems only capable of stammering absurdly at the moment. Derek can’t help quirking a playful eyebrow at him, enjoying that he’s managed to leave his best friend speechless.

“What, did something happen just now?” He asks, playing dumb, but is surprised when Stiles doesn’t answer. He just takes his hand and tugs Derek away from their friends without another word.

“Where are we going?” Derek inquires but realizes the answer to his own question when they end up in front of the stairs leading to the second floor.

They’re about to ascend the staircase, but Lydia stops them. “I was just getting ready to bring out your cake so we can—” She stops short upon seeing their linked hands and immediately backtracks from her original statement. “Never mind. The cake can _absolutely_ wait. Third door on your left.”

She hands Stiles a set of keys and he thanks her before leading Derek up the stairs. Once they get to the top of the landing, Stiles guides them to the room Lydia indicated and unlocks the door, opening it to find a spacious bedroom decorated in shades of blue, brown and gray. After they cross the threshold into the room, Stiles closes the door and then turns to face Derek.

Now that they’re alone, instead of feeling playful, Derek’s gotten shy again. He avoids Stiles’ eyes as he speaks. “ _So_ , I danced…on top of a bar, and I’m not drunk or even a little bit buzzed and I’m not in _Coyote Ugly_ either, so really there’s no logical explanation for that horrible display you just witnessed.”

“It wasn’t horrible,” Stiles tells him without even a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Derek meets his gaze at this point and finds something in it that he can’t quite describe or maybe just isn’t ready to. He clears his throat before changing the subject. “I got you something.”

“You did?” Stiles asks with a smile, causing Derek to roll his eyes.

“It’s your birthday. Of course I got you something.” The pair sit down on the bed. Stiles looks at him expectantly, but Derek hesitates to remove the envelope from his jacket pocket, suddenly feeling self-conscious about the gift.

He starts to ramble. “It’s super cheesy, and you probably won’t even like it that much, or at all, so you shouldn’t—” Stiles gives him a look that causes Derek to cut off his rant and finally hand him the envelope muttering, “I should’ve just stuck with the watch.”

Derek stares up at the ceiling, unable to watch Stiles’ expression as he opens his gift. He only hears as Stiles opens the envelope and unfolds the paper inside so he can read it. Derek startles when he hears Stiles’ breath catch and can’t help turning to see his reaction.

“You got me a fish,” the young man says after reading over the document from Beacon Hills’ aquarium stating he’s now the owner of one of their many species of marine life.

Derek nods. “I did.”

“A blue tang.”

“Yup.”

“And you named him…”

“Will Turner,” the two friends say together.

Stiles adds, “Because I kind of had a thing for Orlando Bloom during his _Pirates of the Caribbean_ phase.”

“You were obsessed,” Derek corrects him, and Stiles agrees.

“I was obsessed.”

They glance at each other before bursting into laughter. Stiles is one of those people who laughs with their entire bodies, so it’s quite a sight to see him let out these full-bodied bursts of uncontrollable giggles.

Once they finally calm down, Stiles looks over at Derek, repeating, “You got me a fish.”

Derek rubs the back of his neck as he speaks. “I know it’s stupid, and it’s okay if you hate it. I won’t be—”

Stiles interrupts him to inquire, “Can we go see him some time?”

The young man stares at him in surprise before replying, “Yeah, of course. Anytime you want.”

“Great. Thank you for this, Derek; it’s seriously one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me.”

“Better than the complete _Twilight Saga_ collection?” Derek asks incredulously.

Stiles chuckles as he retorts, “Oh, definitely,” but then adds seriously, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The pair sit quietly for a moment, simply staring at each other, until Derek says, “I guess we should get back to the party. You have guests waiting for cake.”

He starts to stand up from his spot on the bed but doesn’t get very far because Stiles takes ahold of his wrist to keep Derek at his side. He doesn’t let go either even when he begins to speak. “Do you remember what you said freshmen year?” Stiles asks, and Derek laughs lightly.

“I may not talk all that much, but I’m pretty sure you’re gonna have to elaborate on that question.”

“After I pulled that stupid shit with Lydia,” he says, “do you remember what you said?”

“That I wouldn’t buy you a pizza?” Derek responds, trying and failing to turn what feels like a heavy moment between them into a light-hearted one.

Stiles shakes his head. “No, because if I remember correctly, you did say you would buy me a pizza.”

The young man sighs. “Of course I did. So, if you’re not talking about pizza, what are you talking about?”

Stiles hesitates, actually looks nervous if Derek’s being honest, and drops his gaze to where he’s still holding onto Derek’s wrist. “After Lydia rejected me, I was a mess, completely down on myself, so convinced that I’d end up alone. You said I wouldn’t, but I disagreed with you. I said I’d probably die a virgin, and do you…do you remember what you suggested?”

It takes Derek all of three seconds after Stiles has finished his question to realize this conversation has strayed into unsafe territory. When Stiles lifts his head back up to meet his gaze, Derek feels every part of his body start to hum. He swallows hard, his throat clicking strangely as he does, and tries desperately to stop whatever feeling is overtaking him.

“The party,” Derek says weakly. “Your friends are probably looking for you.”

Stiles disregards his statement completely, choosing instead to answer his own inquiry. “You said that if we were both still virgins by the time I turned eighteen that we should…have sex.”

Derek stares at him for what feels like an eternity before a soft chuckle escapes his lips. The chuckle quickly turns into hysterical laughter, and he’s only able to stop when he notices the genuinely wounded expression on Stiles’ face.

“I…I’m sorry,” Derek apologizes, “but when I suggested that I knew there was no chance in hell it would ever happen and that was _before_ you turned into all of…this.”

He gestures at Stiles’ everything, causing his friend to snort, but Derek just shrugs. “It’s true. And I was right because there’s no possible way you could still be a virgin.”

Stiles inquires, “And how do you know that?”

“ _Look at you_!” Derek exclaims, pointing at him again. “You could have almost anyone you want. The junior downstairs, Heather?”

Stiles shakes his head, and Derek says, “Okay, well, what about that little guy with all the unnatural muscles you were hanging around sophomore year, Jeff?”

The young man’s face scrunches up in disgust. “Oh god, no. He was awful, completely self-absorbed and not even in a charming way like me.”

Derek rolls his eyes at this comment before speaking again. “What about when my cousin came to visit last summer? She had it bad for you.”

“She did,” he agrees, “but the chemistry just wasn’t there, you know? And besides that, I don’t want to lose my virginity to some random person I barely know.”

“Well, what _do_ you want?” Derek asks before he can stop himself and resists the urge to bolt from the room in a panic.

“I want…I want to be with someone who knows me, someone I can trust, someone who will make it as good for me as I will for them.” He leans in to add barely above a whisper, “And I promise I’d make it really good for you, Derek.

“Shit,” Derek curses when Stiles’ breath hits his ear, eyes fluttering closed as heat starts to spread through his body. When he opens his eyes back up, he finds Stiles smirking and he tries his best to glower at him but fails spectacularly. “So we’ve established that you’re a virgin, but how do you even know if I’m still one?”

“Erica told me,” Stiles responds simply, and Derek’s not even surprised by this piece of news.

“I should’ve known.” Stiles laughs at that and Derek smiles but his face drops suddenly as he asks, “Why me though? Why, when you can have just about _anyone_ , would you want _me_?”

“Because you’re my best friend. Why wouldn’t I want my first time to be with someone who’s so important to me?” Stiles finally moves his hand so that it’s no longer holding onto Derek’s wrist and intertwines their fingers.

“First times should mean something and being with you would definitely mean something to me.”

Derek’s whole body is flushing at this point; he can’t believe Stiles is speaking this way about him. His brain is slowly turning into scrambled eggs and he hears himself blurt, “We’ve never even kissed.”

He lets out a yelp of surprise when Stiles moves closer, close enough to rest his forehead against his and sweep his thumb across Derek’s cheek as he says, “That problem could be solved right now. All you have to do is say yes.”

Derek lets out a shaky breath; he knows what he wants but is too afraid to voice his feelings aloud. Meanwhile Stiles is still running his thumb over his cheek and the simple action is driving him crazy. “I won’t do anything if you don’t want me to,” Stiles reminds him.

Derek nods quickly in response, shivers when Stiles’ nose brushes up against his. The one syllable word is dancing on the tip of his tongue and it comes out much breathier than he expected.

“Yes.”

Stiles stares at him in disbelief before asking, “Are you sure?”

“Very sure,” Derek responds honestly, and Stiles chuckles softly before placing both hands on Derek’s cheeks.

Stiles runs a fingertip over his bottom lip, causing Derek to suck in a breath, and then presses a light, tentative kiss to his mouth. He does it again, soft and teasing, as though he’s asking for permission to take things further.

Derek nods against him and suddenly Stiles isn’t holding back anymore. He captures Derek’s lips between his own. Stiles pushes Derek’s jacket off his shoulders and then moves his hands down to wrap them around his waist and pull the young man closer.

Derek doesn’t really know what to do with his hands at first. They start off on Stiles’ shoulders and then slide down his arms but when they move back up to his hair and his fingers card through his messy locks, Stiles groans softly into Derek’s mouth and presses him back on the mattress.

Stiles’ mouth is hot and insistent, coaxing sweet sighs from Derek with every press of his lips to his. He sucks Derek’s lip into his mouth as he settles one of his legs between the young man’s thighs. Stiles' hips start to move, a slow and tortuous grind that has Derek gasping and arching up against him.

Stiles pulls back with a quiet laugh, placing kisses along Derek’s jaw and whispers, “Slow down. We’ve got time.”

Derek’s panting, gazing up at him with wide eyes, unable to help the way his voice breaks when he speaks. “Stiles… _please_.”

Stiles reaches down to place a hand on Derek’s stomach. He doesn’t do any more than that, just rests his hand there, but it’s enough to have Derek shivering. Stiles leans in to mouth at his neck before asking, “Can I touch you?”

“You _are_ touching me,” Derek retorts, surprised he’s able to speak in complete sentences, especially when Stiles lets out a husky chuckle and then sucks a mark over his pulse point. Derek manages to hold back a groan when he feels Stiles’ mouth on his neck.

“Fair point,” he counters, lifting his head up to gaze at him. “I want to see you.” Stiles’ fingers twist up in the bottom of Derek’s shirt as he kisses him again. “Can I…?”

“Yes.” Derek doesn’t let him finish the question; he sits up to help Stiles pull the shirt over his head. The moment it comes off, Stiles just looks at him, eyes glazing over, and Derek feels his face heat up. “It’s not anything you haven’t seen before,” he mutters, and Stiles smirks.

He moves in to run his tongue over Derek’s chest, laving at his nipples until the young man’s panting and pulling Stiles back up for another heated kiss. “What can I do? What do you want me to do, Derek?” Stiles asks against his lips, rolling his hips so that their clothed erections press together and Derek gasps sharply, hands fumbling for Stiles’ shirt.

“Eager,” Stiles jokes as Derek rushes to get his shirt off, and Derek might glare at him under normal circumstances but the sight of Stiles’ lean, but strong, body on display has his mind focused on more important matters. Derek reaches out to place his hands on Stiles, tweaks his nipples between his thumb and forefinger, enjoying the soft groan Stiles releases from the simple touch.

Derek looks up at him, his green eyes wide with lust for the young man hovering above him. Derek can’t believe this is actually happening, wonders if maybe he should stop it before it goes any further.

However, all thoughts of stopping what’s going on between them fly out the window when Stiles’ hand slinks down between them to palm Derek through his jeans as he tugs at his earlobe with his teeth.

“I…I want to…I just need to…” Stiles can’t even finish his thought, but Derek nods in agreement anyway. They both start reaching for their jeans, pushing them down in a hurry. From that point on it becomes a frantic push and pull between them. Both boys are so hard they’re leaking precome.

“Please,” Derek breathes when Stiles starts grinding against him, “like this. Just like this.”

“ _Fuck_ , Derek. Anything… _god_ , anything you want,” Stiles groans, burying his face into Derek’s neck as the movement of their hips causes their erections to slide against each other.

Derek’s close to blurting out that he wants everything Stiles is willing to give him but manages to stop himself. The fact that they’re even doing something like this, that they’re even this close, is so completely overwhelming to the young man.

Stiles grinds down on him while Derek pushes up to meet his thrusts, and the sensations coursing through Derek have him shaking and gasping for breath.

He reaches down to grab a handful of Stiles’ ass, loving the way the warm flesh feels between his fingers and encouraging him to pick up the pace. Derek murmurs Stiles’ name, finds it difficult to say anything else when his best friend is rocking his hips into Derek’s.

The feel of their cocks dragging back and forth over each other has Derek’s thighs clenching around Stiles, who is sucking a mark onto the skin of his throat but pulls back suddenly to look at him.

“Come on, Derek,” he says, spurning him on, “I want to feel you. Come for me.”

Derek’s grip on Stiles tightens and he shudders as he releases, streaks of white covering his and Stiles’ stomachs and cocks. Stiles doesn’t last much longer after that, frantically chases his orgasm and moans loudly when it finally hits him full-force.

They’re both still shaking as Stiles rests his forehead against Derek’s. Stiles gazes down at him, eyes filled with something Derek can’t put into words, before finding his lips again and running his hands through Derek’s hair. Stiles presses tender kisses to Derek’s mouth for several minutes until he pulls away, caressing his cheek softly.

Derek knows they can’t stay this way forever. As much as he wants to spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in Stiles, discussing what they’ve done and how it may or may not change things between them, there are people downstairs waiting for the birthday boy to return. Derek doesn’t want to be selfish; he’s not going to be the one to keep Stiles away from his friends.

Derek clears his throat before speaking. “We…We should clean up.”

Derek’s surprised when Stiles doesn’t immediately move away from him. Stiles stays where he is, eyes focused on him, and Derek thinks he leans in for a fraction of a second before quickly sitting up on the bed.

Stiles reaches for his clothes, and Derek can’t help watching him put them back on in favor of searching for his own attire. Once Stiles has pulled his shirt and pants back on, he turns back to Derek to say, “There’s more than one bathroom on this floor so you can use the one in here and I’ll just…”

He gestures to the door and Derek just nods though he feels as if he should actually say something. Stiles must feel the same way because he appears to be staring at him expectantly, but Derek doesn’t open his mouth to speak. Stiles releases a soft sigh before telling him, “I’ll see you back downstairs.”

The moment he leaves Derek scrunches his eyes shut and falls back onto the bed, hitting himself with a pillow several times in a row. He had sex…with _Stiles_! _His best friend_! How could he be so stupid? Derek should’ve never agreed to it; now he’s going to lose Stiles forever because of one very dumb choice.

After sliding off the bed, Derek walks to the bathroom, cleans himself off, and then puts his clothes back on. He contemplates calling Lydia to ask if he can stay in the bedroom until the party ends but then realizes how ridiculous the idea sounds and decides against it. Derek knows he’s going to have to face Stiles after what happened between them…but it doesn’t have to be right this second.

Derek leaves the bedroom and tips back downstairs. He finds the party still in full swing; it seems as though no one has even noticed his or Stiles’ absence. Derek plans to slip out of the house undetected and call a cab to get home but things don’t go his way because Boyd and Erica catch him just as he gets to the front door.

“Were you about to leave?” Boyd asks, folding his arms.

Derek replies hesitantly, “ _No_ …why would you—”

“You and Stiles disappeared together a while ago,” Erica says, cutting him off. “Enlighten us, Derek, what were you guys doing?”

The young man flushes, his mind thinking back to the precious moments he and Stiles just spent together, moments he’s not ready to share with anyone just yet, including his friends. Fortunately, Derek’s not forced to answer Erica’s question because Lydia is back near the center of the room with a mic in hand, a huge chocolate cake in front of her, and Stiles at her side.

“It’s time to for the birthday boy to cut his cake!” The crowd cheers while Stiles flashes a small smile. “But first,” Lydia adds, “We’ve got some singing to do.”

She leads the partygoers through a rousing rendition of _Happy Birthday_ but Derek doesn’t join in. He’s too busy watching Stiles, who is laughing and shaking his head at his group of friends. Stiles looks happy and carefree; he doesn’t need Derek around, complicating things with his stupid feelings for him. The crowd finishes singing and Stiles leans in to blow out his candles, grinning when the group erupts into applause for him.

“I’m gonna step outside for some air,” Derek says, reaching for the doorknob.

“We’ll go with you,” Boyd offers, but Derek shakes his head in response.

“I just need a minute, please.”

Erica looks as though she wants to fight him on this, but Boyd wraps his arms around her and gestures to Derek to take his leave. Derek walks out onto the front porch, relieved to find it empty, and takes a deep breath.

He’s a complete and utter idiot for sleeping with Stiles knowing he’s in love with the young man and that _he_ would want more but Stiles wouldn’t. How in the hell is Derek supposed to even look Stiles in the eye now and not think about what they did? How it felt to be in his arms, to kiss Stiles and touch him so freely when Derek knew at the time it would only happen once.

“Stupid fucking idiot,” Derek grumbles, lowering his head and leaning against the railing of the porch.

“Now is that any way to talk to the birthday boy?”

Derek nearly falls to the floor from how quickly he spins around and finds Stiles smirking behind him with a plate of his birthday cake in hand.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes, moving closer to Derek, “did I interrupt your brooding moment?”

Derek rolls his eyes, insisting, “I wasn’t brooding.”

Stiles chuckles softly. “Sure you weren’t.” He then lifts the plate as he says, “I brought you some cake since you ran out of there before I could even finish cutting the first piece.”

“You saw that?” Derek inquires sheepishly.

Stiles retorts, “Uh, yeah. I had to fight off like twenty people to get out here to find you; I thought you left.”

“Nope, still here,” Derek says, turning back to look out over the impressive piece of property.

“You should head back inside though,” he adds, not bothering to even so much as glance over his shoulder at Stiles. “Your party’s still going; I’m sure you don’t want to waste it spending any more time with me.”

When Derek doesn’t hear Stiles make a move back towards the door, he speaks again. “Look, if you’re worried about…what happened between us, don’t be. I know it was just a one-time deal, just to get it over with so you’d be able to say you’ve had sex and you’re not a virgin anymore. It’s fine, Stiles, go back to your party.”

Derek expects Stiles to finally leave him alone after his statement. What he _doesn’t_ expect is for Stiles to ask, “What if I don’t want it to be just a one-time deal?”

Derek’s eyes widen at his question, certain he must’ve misheard Stiles. He’s turning around to ask his friend to repeat himself when Stiles unceremoniously flings the plate of cake aside to wrap his arms around Derek and pull him into a heated embrace.

Stiles’ tongue is licking into Derek’s mouth, tasting and exploring. His hands are everywhere, running down Derek's back, stroking his arms, squeezing his ass, and Derek can only gasp helplessly into his mouth, throw his arms around Stiles’ neck, and hold on for the ride.

Stiles turns them around and backs Derek up against the house beside the door. When Stiles starts running his tongue over his jawline, Derek finally regains enough of his senses to point out, “You dropped the cake.”

“Don’t care,” Stiles murmurs, moving down to nip at his throat.

Derek bites his lip, stifling a groan when Stiles sucks at the same spot on his neck where he left a mark earlier. He can hear the party going on right on the other side of the wall and it reminds Derek that unlike before when they were upstairs in a private bedroom together, he and Stiles are out in the open now where anyone could stumble upon them.

He manages to blurt, “Someone could come out here; someone could see us.”

“Again, don’t care,” Stiles reiterates, his hands moving down and under Derek’s shirt to feel the warm skin of his stomach. “I just…I need to get my hands on you. God, _Derek_ , can I touch you?”

“You _are_ touching me,” Derek replies playfully, smiling when Stiles levels him with an unimpressed look.

“Oh, _ha-ha_ , never gonna let that one go, are you?”

Derek shrugs indifferently, feeling triumphant until Stiles reaches down to unbuckle his belt and tug his jeans and underwear down before doing the same to his own.

“Can I touch you?” Stiles asks again, whispering into his ear, and when they lock eyes, Derek nods.

Derek nearly brains himself on the side of the house when Stiles wraps his fingers around both of their cocks, moving his hand back and forth tortuously slow until they’re both hard and leaking from the tips.

Stiles uses their combined natural slick to ease the way, and Derek moans when Stiles' thumb swipes across the head of his erection. Derek’s not going to last very long with Stiles’ movements picking up speed and the way his best friend leans against him to pant hotly against his ear.

“I think…I think we should…oh _fuck_ , Derek, you’re so…”

Stiles drifts off, cutting his own ramblings short in favor of kissing Derek passionately and jerking them both faster. Derek grunts into his mouth when Stiles strokes him to a finish, and his best friend follows shortly after.

They’re both still trying to catch their breath when Stiles says, “I don’t want this to be a one-time deal.”

“What are you suggesting then?” Derek asks with furrowed eyebrows.

Stiles bites his lip, seemingly contemplating his answer, and all Derek can do is stand there and wait for him to speak again. More than a few minutes pass and Stiles has yet to respond and it's making Derek nervous, making him think the worst.

However, the young man is in for the shock of his life when Stiles finally _does_ reply to his question and gives Derek an answer he most definitely was _not_ expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, so what do you think Stiles is going to suggest? I'll give you three guesses. Update coming as soon as possible!


	7. Derek Intends to Stop This Before it Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek knows what he should do; he just doesn't know if he really wants to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated.

“ _Friends with benefits_?! You’ve got to be _kidding me_ , Derek! _Have you lost your mind_?!”

“Possibly,” Derek responds, cringing when Laura starts shouting again and he pulls the phone away from his ear with a sigh. If the young man’s being honest with himself, agreeing to be fuck buddies with Stiles probably wasn’t the best idea.

_“We should keep doing this,” Stiles said, voice soft and still a bit breathless. When Derek had asked him to elaborate, he added, “We should keep…having sex.”_

Stiles’ cheeks turned the shade of a ripe tomato as soon as the words left his mouth and if Derek hadn’t been so distracted by how kissable he looked in that moment he might’ve had the good sense to turn him down and make a run for it. But no, Derek had practically shouted his approval, flushing when Stiles grinned at his eagerness.

They snuck around to the back of the house and came in through the entrance that way to clean up again before rejoining their friends, who all gave the pair suspicious looks but didn’t question them about where they’d been together.

Soon afterwards everyone headed back outside to watch the fireworks display. While everyone else marveled at the fireworks, Derek spent the whole time focused on Stiles and not on the bright colors and designs filling up the night sky.

When the party finally ended around three in the morning, Derek, Cora, Boyd, and Erica piled into Boyd’s truck to head home but not before Stiles got Derek alone one last time, kissed him senseless, nearly made them both come in their pants, and then proceeded to ask if he wanted to come over to watch movies later. Derek had nodded in agreement, nearly tripping over a tree root on his way back to Boyd’s truck because he couldn’t take his eyes off Stiles.

As soon as Derek returned home, he wanted to call his older sister but the lateness of the hour, and her reaction to the mess he’s gotten himself into, kept him from doing so. After sleeping for a while, Derek finally contacted Laura on Sunday afternoon and is unsurprised by her outburst regarding his arrangement with Stiles.

“Derek,” she begins, pausing in her speech as though needing to ask for the strength to continue, “how could you _possibly_ think throwing yourself into a casual sexual relationship with your best friend, who you’re in love with by the way, would be a good idea?”

“I didn’t…think,” he finishes rather lamely and surprisingly his sister disagrees with him.

“Oh, but you _did_ think, little brother, just with the wrong head.”

Derek glowers as he says, “Yes, thank you for that, Laura; it was truly helpful. What am I supposed to do?”

“The smart thing, obviously,” Laura responds, “break off whatever this is between you and Stiles _today_. Continuing this arrangement will only end up hurting you both because it’s clear that Stiles is as deeply in denial about his feelings as you are.”

“What are you talking about?” Derek questions, and his sister sighs on the other end.

“ _Really_ , Derek? _Please_ tell me you’re not this dense.” When he doesn’t answer, Laura sighs again before saying, “Just end it, okay? I don’t care how good the sex is.”

“It’s really good,” he mutters loud enough for her to hear but she ignores him.

Laura adds, “It’s not worth the strain it’s going to put on your friendship. Now when you two are ready to explore the completely obvious feelings you have for one another, you can put sex back on the table. But until then, no, _end it_. Listen to your big sister. Have I ever steered you wrong before?”

“You made me dress up as _Tweety Bird_ for Halloween…when I was thirteen!” Derek reminds her with a shout, and Laura cackles.

“It was a good look on you. Stiles loved it, thought you looked absolutely adorable.”

The look of pure delight on Stiles’ face when he saw him in his costume was worth the humiliation. When Derek releases a pleased sigh, mind suddenly filled with thoughts of Stiles, Laura’s quick to repeat, “ _End it today_!”

After Derek hangs up from Laura, he texts Stiles asking to meet him up with him at his house. He’s going to do the smart thing; he’s going to nip this “friends with benefits” idea in the bud as soon as possible.

Stiles texts Derek back almost immediately telling him that both his mother and father are out and to come over now. Derek’s relieved because it means he can talk to Stiles and put a stop to their insane arrangement right away. He pulls his car into the Stilinski’s driveway fifteen minutes later and walks up the front stairs with a determined swagger about him.

Derek rings the doorbell feeling confident until Stiles answers…dripping wet with just a soft white towel wrapped around his waist and hanging low on his hips. His hair is damp and sticking to his forehead and there are droplets of water sliding down his chest and the ridges of his abs, and Derek can only gape at him, his mouth hanging open stupidly.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Derek,” he apologizes, ushering him inside. “Scott, Jackson, Danny, and Isaac decided an impromptu scrimmage was in order to see who could play the best with a hangover. Of course what they didn’t know was that I didn’t drink last night, so I smoked all four of them.”

After closing the door, Stiles says, “I thought I could hop in the shower and get dressed before you got here but as you can see…” He gestures down at himself, and Derek’s eyes linger on the imprint of Stiles’ dick through the towel for a lot longer than they should.

Stiles must notice Derek staring because he grins slyly, moving closer to him. “You look like you need something.”

Derek immediately puts up his hands and takes a step back, causing the amused look to slide right off Stiles’ face. “I…I don’t think we should do this anymore.” He expects Stiles to interrupt him but when he doesn’t Derek starts to speak again.

“It’s not anything you did I just think continuing…this,” Derek points between them, “would be bad for our friendship, so we should…stop.”

Derek waits for Stiles to respond, but the young man stays quiet, and the blank expression on his face doesn’t give away anything about how he feels either. Derek takes his friend’s silence as the hint to leave and reaches over to pat him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“ _So_ , good talk. I’m gonna go.”

He turns to leave but stops mid-step when Stiles’ hand finds its way to his waist and the young man leans against Derek’s back, speaking directly into his ear.

“I don’t think you want to stop this any more than I do.”

“Stiles, I… _oh_ …”

Derek tries to speak but his words get caught in his throat when Stiles attaches his lips to the crook of his neck. His hand wanders under Derek's shirt, fingernails scraping his stomach and getting tangled in the patch of hair just above his waistband.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” Stiles murmurs, trailing kisses along his throat and down to his collarbone. “I promise I will,” he adds, his hand drifting to cup Derek through his jeans. “Just…just tell me to stop.”

Derek’s cock responds to Stiles’ touch, and he gasps when Stiles starts to fondle him more insistently. The smart thing, he remembers, would be to stop this like Laura suggested. But then Derek feels Stiles’ teeth dig into the tendons of his neck and he abandons every sane thought he once had regarding ending their arrangement.

Derek’s head falls back against Stiles’ shoulder as he breathes, “Please don’t stop.”

Stiles makes quick work of unbuttoning Derek’s pants, pushing them aside to take his dick in his hand. There’s already precome gathering at the slit and Stiles uses it to make the slide of his hand easier. Derek releases soft whimpers each time Stiles runs his hand up and down his cock and gasps sharply when the young man palms his balls.

“Stiles…oh god, _Stiles_....” Derek reaches back to run his hand through Stiles’ hair, grips it, and pulls him in for a soft kiss as Stiles continues to stroke him. Derek’s hips start to jerk back and he feels the outline of Stiles’ dick.

Derek pulls away, panting against his friend’s mouth. “Stiles, I want…I want…”

“Tell me,” Stiles demands, grinding against Derek’s ass while his hand keeps moving. “What do you want, Derek? Do you want me?”

Derek comes suddenly, shaking and gasping as Stiles strokes him through it. When the young man recovers from his orgasm, he realizes Stiles is still incredibly hard, and Derek curses softly. He turns to face Stiles, surprising him when he drops down to his knees in front of him.

“You don’t have to,” Stiles assures him though Derek sees the way Stiles’ eyes have darkened just from the sight of him in this compromising position.

“I want to,” Derek says, running his hands over the soft fabric of the towel. “I mean, I’ve never done it before, but I’ve watched enough porn to know—”

Stiles cuts him off with a groan. “The thought of _you_ , watching porn…”

Derek’s quick to defend himself. “I’m a teenage boy; it’s not that ridiculous.”

“It’s fucking hot is what it is,” Stiles grunts, reaching down to grab his own erection as if he might come right then and there, and Derek’s whole face turns pink.

“Oh.”

Derek’s fingers are still sliding across the towel, inching to remove it. He glances up to meet Stiles’ eyes and asks for permission. “Can I?”

Stiles nods slowly, suddenly shy as if he didn’t just make Derek come his brains out. Derek stands so that he can back Stiles up to the wall beside the stairs.  Once Derek has Stiles pressed against the wall, he kneels back down in front of him.

“Not very fond of beds, are we?” Stiles jokes, and Derek smirks up at him.

“Not very fond of wasting time walking up these stairs when I could be doing this.”

He licks across Stiles’ stomach, causing the young man to groan through his teeth, and Derek feels quite pleased with himself. The simple action has Stiles keening already, practically begging for Derek to take him apart with his mouth.

Okay, so, the logistics of giving a blowjob seem simple enough, but Derek’s still nervous about the execution. What if he’s bad at it? What if he does something Stiles doesn’t like?

Derek knows he’s probably over-thinking things but he can’t help it. He wants to make this good for Stiles. Derek zones out for at least a good minute or so before Stiles’ voice snaps him out of it. “It’s okay. I can take care of…this myself.”

Stiles makes a move to leave but Derek holds onto his hips, keeping him in place. “Wait.” He looks up at Stiles as he says, “I want to try.”

Derek pulls the towel off Stiles’ waist and drops it to the floor beside them. With no other barrier between them, he now has a face-full of Stiles’ dick, his best friend’s dick, which is stiff and flushed at the tip and needs to be sucked into a warm mouth.

Derek takes a deep breath, steels himself, and then leans in to lick tentatively at the head of Stiles’ cock. The surprised gasp of pleasure that escapes Stiles’ lips ignites him. Derek wraps his mouth around the tip and sucks, finding that he doesn’t mind the taste of Stiles’ precome and laps up every drop of it.

Stiles moans, hips jerking in short movements trying to get Derek to take him deeper into his mouth but then immediately apologizes for his actions. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he breathes, hands moving restlessly at his sides.

“It’s okay,” Derek assures him as he pulls back a little to swirl his tongue around the length of Stiles’ cock. The young man slams his palms against the wall on either side of him, blurting out a litany of curses combined with sighs and soft pleas for more.

“Derek…god…please just… _please_.”

Stiles is panting and begging and Derek groans, feeling himself wanting to get hard again just from the sound of it. He sucks Stiles down, tries to get as much of him in his mouth as possible without choking. Derek uses his hand to jerk Stiles’ cock and fondle his balls, running a slow and lazy finger up and down the space between them.

“Oh _fuck_ , Derek, I’m gonna come,” Stiles warns, his hips moving more rapidly and his hands trying to grip at the wall. “You gotta pull off. You don’t have to…you don’t have to… _fuck_ , I’m coming!”

In hindsight, Derek probably should’ve listened to Stiles and moved back. However, he’s too caught up in the feel of having Stiles this way, of making him gasp and moan that he keeps sucking until his best friend spills in his mouth. Derek’s finally forced to pull off with a gag, coughing with watery eyes as some of Stiles’ cum hits him on the cheek.

Derek is taking deep breaths while Stiles is trembling above him, panting after his release. “I’m sorry, Derek,” he says, after several minutes have passed, voice a little gruff, “I didn’t mean to, you know…”

“Come on my face?” Derek asks boldly and both young men burst into laughter after his inquiry. He stands up, his knees feeling a bit sore from kneeling. “It’s fine,” he adds, wiping the sticky substance off his cheek and shocking them both when he places the finger he used to rub it off into his mouth and tastes it.

“Not bad,” he admits, and Stiles slumps back against the wall with a whine.

“ _Jesus_ , Derek, you can’t…you can’t just do stuff like that.”

“Says the guy who just jerked me off and got a blowjob in the middle of his family’s home,” Derek points out and Stiles flushes a faint shade of pink.

“We should probably talk about that,” Stiles says, and Derek gestures at him as he speaks.

“Do you really want to have this conversation while _you’re_ naked and _I_ still have cum on my chin?”

Stiles glances down at himself and then back up at Derek before replying, “I suppose not.” He points to the stairs. “I’ll go put on some clothes. You…You stay here; don’t leave, okay? Don’t leave.”

Derek promises, “I’m not going anywhere, except maybe to clean your jizz off my face.”

Stiles gives him an apologetic look. “Again, sorry about that. There are clean towels in the downstairs bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Stiles starts to climb the stairs but then turns back as if he wants to say more but decides against it at the last minute, leaving Derek more than a little confused.

The young man tries not to harp on it as he washes his face and hands, grateful his clothes aren’t completely ruined after what just occurred between them. Stiles’ behavior has definitely given him pause though; Derek can’t help wondering what’s going through his head.

Derek’s hoping for some answers when Stiles returns downstairs and finds him in the kitchen in the middle of making a big stack of sandwiches for them.

“Did you make me grilled cheese?” Stiles asks, leaning over Derek’s shoulder to watch him place a sandwich onto a plate.

Derek nods in response. “I was kind of hungry after we…” Stiles quirks an eyebrow at him, clearly amused when he drifts off. “Yeah, I made grilled cheese,” he says, deciding not to continue his original train of thought.

Stiles sighs contently. “Marry me.” His statement causes Derek to fumble the spatula, nearly dropping it to the floor, and Stiles stifles a laugh. “I’m just kidding. Your face is priceless though.”

“I really can’t stand you sometimes,” Derek growls completely unconvincingly because instead of cowering in fear, Stiles just grins at him and snatches a sandwich off the plate.

He takes a bite out of it and moans obscenely as though Derek still has his dick in his mouth. Derek feels himself growing hot under the collar just from the sound, and Stiles runs an anxious hand over the back of his neck as he speaks.

“Will you sit down with me?” He asks, and Derek agrees, turning off the stove and joining Stiles on the couch in the living room. Once they’re sitting with a plate of sandwiches between them, Stiles asks, “Should we, I mean, do you want to stop?”

“Do _you_ want to stop?” Derek counters, and Stiles pouts in return.

“I asked you first.”

Derek rolls his eyes at his friend’s childish retort. “Seriously?” The young man stares him down, and Derek sighs before admitting, “I don’t want to stop.”

Stiles’ eyes widen and he’s quick to inquire, “Are you sure? I mean, you came over here to tell me you wanted to end this but now you’re suddenly okay with it? You really don’t think this would change our friendship at all?”

“Do _you_ think it would change our friendship?” Stiles gives him a bored look, and Derek frowns. “Oh, right, you asked first.”

He avoids Stiles’ gaze, taking a moment to compose his thoughts before responding. “I think it would only affect our friendship if we let it. We can watch reruns of _The Simpsons_ , go to a karaoke bar, and still do what we started doing last night without anything changing, right?”

Derek manages to control the inflections in his voice, to conceal the truth that’s threatening to burst out of him, that maybe things wouldn’t change for Stiles but they’d _definitely_ change for him. This wouldn’t just be a “friends with benefits” deal for Derek; he wants everything from Stiles even though he knows he can’t have it.

Stiles scratches at his chin as if he’s considering something, then takes another bite out of his sandwich like he’s purposely avoiding the question. When it seems as though Stiles is never going to respond, content with eating his grilled cheese, Derek clears his throat to get his attention. When that doesn’t work he calls his name.

“Stiles?”

His best friend glances up from the sandwich, staring like he’s just realized Derek’s sitting beside him. “Hmm?”

“You didn’t answer me when I asked if we could have sex without it changing our friendship.”

It takes Stiles another minute or so before he finally responds. “Oh. Right. Yeah…no, of course it wouldn’t change anything. Why would it change anything? Hold on, did you say we could go to a karaoke bar? Because I’m totally holding you to that, and yes, you have to participate, and yes, I get to pick the song.”

Derek’s mouth drops open, practically whining as he asks, “Why do you get to pick the song?”

Stiles puts up a hand, staring at him in disbelief. “Wait, _that’s_ what you’re upset about, me picking out the song, not about the fact you have to get up in front of bunch of people and sing?”

Stiles lets out a loud laugh while Derek scowls with folded arms because he’s just unwittingly agreed to go to a karaoke bar with Stiles and, most likely, the rest of their friends in tow and embarrass himself in front of a room full of strangers. To make matters worse, he let himself get completely distracted and missed out on his chance to ask Stiles about the suspect way he answered his initial question.

“Well, if you get to pick out my song, it’s only fair that I get to choose yours,” Derek points out with a grin, but Stiles doesn’t seem fazed by this suggestion.

“That’s fine. I have a voice suited for most types of music. Do your worst,” he challenges.

“Hmm, I could go with Nicki Minaj, ooh, or better yet… _Bieber_ ,” Derek whispers in a gleeful tone causing Stiles to gasp dramatically.

“ _You wouldn’t dare_.”

“Try me,” Derek counters, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Stiles’ mouth tips up in a smile and it’s at this point Derek realizes how close they are, close enough that it would be so easy to drop a kiss on Stiles’ mouth. He’s seriously considering taking a chance and just going for it, pressing his lips to Stiles,’ when his best friend speaks again.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” He suggests suddenly, pulling back just a bit so that they aren’t as close, and Derek internally bemoans the loss. “I’ve got a bunch of cheesy action movies queued up on _Netflix_ that I want to subject someone else to.”

“That someone being me?” Derek inquires, attempting to hold back a grin.

“Maybe,” he replies hesitantly, and Derek shakes his head. “Come on, we’ve got horrible movies to watch.” Stiles grabs Derek with one hand and the plate of sandwiches with the other and leads him up the stairs.

They barrel into Stiles’ bedroom, finding it in its usual state of disarray. Papers are strewn across the desk, clothes are spread out over the floor, and several empty soda cans are stacked up on the windowsill.

His bed is surprisingly clear of the mess, so they both take seats on it before Stiles opens his laptop to start up the movie, some monstrosity called _Troll Hunter_ that has subtitles and looks utterly ridiculous. Derek tries to get him to put on something else, but Stiles insists on watching it and really, when can Derek ever say no to him?

The movie ends up being just as bad as Derek expects it to be, but Stiles gives it a glowing review, claiming the acting and directing was superb. The pair settle in and watch two more movies both just as horrible as the first. They’re about to start another when they hear a car pull into the driveway and the front door open downstairs.

Claudia Stilinski calls for her son and Stiles glances over at Derek to say, “My mom’s back.”

“Yeah, I figured that,” Derek retorts with a grin, and Stiles’ eyes roll skyward.

He hops off the bed, pulling Derek along with him. “Let’s just go say hi, you jerk.”

They nudge and push playfully at each other all the way downstairs until they find Stiles’ mother in the kitchen, already in the mist of making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

“Hey, mom,” Stiles says and Derek greets her as well.

“Hello, Mrs. Stilinski.”

Claudia turns away from the counter, beaming when she catches sight of Derek and quickly strides across the room to wrap him up in a hug. “It’s good to see you, Derek.”

When they pull back, Derek responds, “You too, Mrs. Stilinski.”

Stiles butts into the conversation, exclaiming, “And it’s always good to see me, right, mom?”

Claudia reaches out to pat her son on the cheek, placating him. “Of course, sweetheart.”

While Stiles is preening from his mother’s attention, the older woman and Derek share an amused glance. Claudia Stilinski is a beautiful woman, inside and out, kind, gentle, and strong.

Stiles inherited some of her greatest traits along with her amber eyes and splashes of beauty marks. Besides his mother, Claudia’s the greatest woman Derek’s ever had the pleasure of knowing, and of course, he’ll be forever grateful to her for bringing Stiles into the world.

Claudia asks, “You’re staying for dinner, aren’t you, Derek?”

Before Derek can answer, Stiles nods emphatically. “He is.”

Derek frowns at him but then responds, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, since you’ve obviously recovered from the party last night, I can put you boys to work chopping up vegetables,” she tells them, herding both boys to the sink so they can wash their hands.

While they’re slicing up tomatoes and green peppers, Claudia inquires about Stiles’ birthday party. “How was everything? Stiles had this big, goofy grin on his face when he came in last night, but he wouldn’t give me any details, just declared it ‘the best party ever’, but I’m sure Derek wouldn’t mind sharing some info with me.”

The tomato Derek’s cutting slips away from him after Stiles’ mother calls him out. Once he retrieves it, Derek determinedly keeps his eyes on the tomato, not willing to so much as even chance a look over at Stiles, who is dicing up a green pepper without comment.

Derek stumbles over his words, his ears turning pink as he responds, “It was just…you know, just…typical teenage shenanigans, that’s all. Not much to tell.”

Claudia’s pout is so reminiscent of Stiles’ that Derek actually does a double take, wondering which Stilinski family member he’s actually looking at. “You two are no fun. Maybe I should just ask Lydia what—”

“ _Mom_ , _no_!” Stiles exclaims, cutting her off, and the older woman laughs heartily.

“Goodness, Stiles, you’re so easy. If you want to keep what happened at the party a secret from me, that’s perfectly fine…I just hope you were safe,” she adds, causing her son to squeak pathetically and for Derek’s whole face to turn as red as the tomato he’s finished cutting.

“We _really_ don’t need to talk about this,” Stiles says, placing a hand over his face.

“So something _did_ happen?” His mother questions, but when Stiles groans, she puts her hands up in defeat. “Okay, all right, I’ll leave it alone… _for now_ , but if you need to talk, you can always come to me or your father about anything. _Anything_.”

The young man releases a soft sigh before nodding. “Thanks, mom.”

“You’re welcome, honey, now start sautéing those vegetables so we can start rolling meatballs.”

“You got it.”

They cook the vegetables and then Derek and Stiles start to work on the meatballs, molding the ground turkey into perfectly shaped circles, while Stiles’ mother heats up the sauce. They talk and joke around like they normally do. Things between them don’t feel any different despite the fact they’ve had sex three times since last night, and Derek honestly doesn’t know how to feel about that.

After Stiles puts the meatballs into the oven, he and Derek start on the salad and Claudia boils the water for the pasta. Stiles is tossing cherry tomatoes at Derek, who is catching them in his mouth with ease, when his dad finally makes an appearance after a long twelve-hour shift down at the station.

Sheriff John Stilinski looks a little worn down when he walks through the door but he immediately perks up at the sight of his family. He pecks Claudia on the lips, and Derek sees Stiles smile at the affectionate display between his parents. Derek can’t help wondering if maybe the two of them might be as happy and in love as both sets of their parents are.

“What up, pops?” Stiles asks, grinning at his father, who just shakes his head at him in return.

“Hello, Stiles. I see you managed not to burn the place down while your mother and I were out,” he says, and Stiles places a hand over his heart.

“Why must you always think the worst of me, dad?”

“Because you never give me any reason not to, son,” his dad retorts. “Am I right, Derek?”

Derek starts to respond, but Stiles interrupts him to say, “Derek’s my best friend. He’s loyal to me; he’d _never_ side with you, right, Derek?”

Fortunately for the young man, Claudia saves him from answering by pulling him aside to ask for his help setting the table. Once they’re all seated, plates filled with spaghetti, salad, and French bread, they dig into their meal.

Of course Stiles makes it his personal mission to frustrate the hell out of Derek by making a show of slowly slurping up his spaghetti and sucking tomato sauce off his fingers.

Derek doesn’t even realize how intensely he’s watching Stiles until the sheriff’s voice causes him to finally look away when the older man asks, “So, what have you boys been up to today?”

Stiles nearly chokes on a piece of bread while Derek downs his glass of lemonade so he doesn’t have to respond right away. The sheriff’s eyebrows rise considerably at their reactions to his question, and he inquires, “Do I even _want_ to know what you two were doing while we were gone?”

“Probably not,” Stiles retorts once he’s able to speak again. “But no one had to call one of your deputies so it’s fine,” he adds, and his father gives him a flat look.

“Parrish is the only deputy I have left who’ll remotely put up with you,” John reveals, and Stiles grins.

“How is Jordan doing anyway? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Derek slams his glass down on the table a little harder than he intended to when Stiles asks about the young deputy. Derek’s familiar with Jordan Parrish, seen him around town a few times since he moved into town about six months ago.

He knows plenty of women and men, young and old, fawn over the deputy with his sandy blonde hair, green eyes, and kind personality; he just didn’t realize Stiles was one of them.

“You’re on a first name basis with Deputy Parrish?” Derek asks, his voice a bit tight, but Stiles doesn’t seem to notice, continues smiling as he answers the question.

“Yeah, Jordan’s awesome. We’ve bonded over our love of _Star Wars_ and ‘90s boy bands. He’s a good guy.”

Derek deflates at the sound of Stiles’ revered tone when speaking of the deputy, attempts to cover his distaste but probably fails. “Oh. That’s…cool.”

Claudia swiftly changes the subject, starts discussing the play she and Stiles’ aunt attended earlier that afternoon. When Stiles starts to go off on a tangent about live theater, she catches Derek’s eye, throwing a subtle wink in his direction, and Derek smiles back at her.

Stiles’ mother is a smart woman; she’s known for a while how Derek feels about her son. Though she’s never tried to force the issue between them, Claudia has made it clear to Derek several times that she hopes he and Stiles eventually end up together and Derek is grateful for her support.

The rest of the dinner goes smoothly. Afterwards, Stiles forces Derek to watch one more terrible movie, but it’s not so bad listening to Stiles’ commentary while sharing peanut butter cookies with him. Once the movie ends, they call it a night since they do have to go to school in the morning. Derek says good night to Stiles’ parents and thanks them again for dinner before Stiles walks him out to his car.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Derek tells him as he unlocks the door to the vehicle and slides inside.

“See you tomorrow,” Stiles says but then adds, “I’m glad you didn’t change your mind, that you still want to…” He changes his statement into question, inquiring, “You do still want to—?”

Derek doesn’t even let Stiles finish the question, can’t stop himself from blurting, “I do; I want to.”

A smile lights up Stiles’ face and he nods in agreement. “Me too. ‘Night, Derek.”

“See ya, Stiles.”

Derek closes the door, starts up the car, and pulls out of the driveway, grinning when Stiles lifts his hand to wave at him parting. Once he’s back home, behind the closed door of his bedroom, Derek considers the idea that maybe he really is making a mistake continuing to have casual sex with his best friend.

However, when he thinks about ending it, Derek remembers Stiles’ hands, his mouth, and the way he feels pressed against him, and he can’t do it. Derek can’t give that up now that he’s had it, so he has to play it cool, pretend to be perfectly content with the way things are between him and Stiles. Derek knows if he can’t do that, he’ll probably lose Stiles and he doesn't think he'd be able to survive that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just two more chapters and maybe a short epilogue left to go. I had intended to make this longer but I could not in good conscience have Derek (and to a lesser extent Stiles) continue to be this clueless. I may at some point post the extra chapter as a bonus, but for now I'm finishing this up soon. The next update might not be posted until Friday so I apologize in advance.


	8. Derek Just Needs to Let it Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles enjoy an afternoon of risky behavior. Later, the boys and their friends end up at a karaoke bar where things between Derek and Stiles come to a head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, this chapter is going to piss you guys off so much! Read with caution. But fear not my lovelies, you know things are always darkest before the dawn.

Everything is quite normal for Derek when he returns to school on Monday morning. He and Cora arrive about fifteen minutes early, and she promptly leaves his side to join Isaac, who’s waiting for her at her locker looking smitten as usual. Isaac acknowledges Derek with a small nod before turning his attention back to Cora.

Erica and Boyd meet up with him in the main hallway like they usually do, and Derek breathes easy…at least until Erica starts up her inquisition.

“So, you ended it, right? It’s ridiculous that you even agreed to it in the first place, but I can’t really say I’m surprised.”

Derek releases a nervous chuckle, runs a shaky hand through his hair, trying to play dumb even though he knows exactly what Erica is referring to. “What are you talking about?”

His two friends share a look and even Boyd can’t muster up the strength to deal with Derek’s pathetic attempt at denial. “Come on now, Derek, _seriously_? We know about you and Stiles.”

“Yeah, we know you two are fuck buddies,” Erica adds with a smirk, and Derek buries his head in his hands.

“That’s not exactly the terminology I would use,” he murmurs, his whole face burning with embarrassment.

“How else would you describe having sex with your best friend who has no clue you’re in love with him?” Boyd asks, actually sounding curious about his answer.

Derek lifts his head, opens his mouth to reply, but only ends up making a few ridiculous noises that can’t pass for actual words.

When Derek finally just throws his hands up in defeat, admitting, “Okay, fine, that’s exactly how you’d describe it,” Erica and Boyd shake their heads at him.

“Laura’s not going to be happy to hear that you haven’t broken things off with Stiles,” Erica says, tutting disapprovingly.

“I went over to Stiles’ house yesterday with every intention of ending things,” Derek explains, “but then he opened the door wearing just a towel and I got distracted.”

“It happens,” Erica tells him with a shrug while Boyd nods in agreement at her side.

“After we did what we did, we hung out like we usually do, nothing’s changed and maybe it doesn’t have to.”

Erica slaps a hand to her forehead, rolling her eyes. “Oh, Derek, you can’t really be this naïve; you _have_ to know this won’t end well.”

It’s pretty much guaranteed his arrangement with Stiles won’t end well, but Derek’s trying not to think about that. Of course it’s hard not to think about Stiles when the young man is always around being utterly adorable.

He spots Stiles at the end of the hall sandwiched between Scott and Lydia, who both appear to be admonishing him and taking turns swatting him across the shoulders while Stiles makes half-hearted attempts to block their attacks.

Derek and his friends walk over to the trio. They’re still arguing until Stiles notices their presence and shushes the pair. Scott and Lydia give him unimpressed looks and hit the young man once more before turning their attention to Derek.

“What’s going on?” He asks, and Stiles starts to reply but Scott and Lydia both cut him off with two separate answers.

Scott mutters, “Stiles is being an idiot,” and Lydia responds, “Your best friend is the dumbest person on the planet but what else is new?”

Stiles glares at his friends but doesn’t get the chance to defend himself because Erica speaks, pointing in Derek’s direction as she does so. “The same can be said for this one as well. He’s one of the smartest kids in our year and yet he still makes the _stupidest_ decisions.”

Boyd concurs, “He does,” but then hastily apologizes when he sees the look of betrayal covering Derek’s face, “sorry, D, but it’s the truth.”

“I think the four of us should be bonding over the fact that our two good friends are acting like complete morons,” Lydia suggests with a smile, and Erica wraps an arm around her shoulder.

“Agreed. Let’s go, you two,” she says, beckoning Boyd and Scott to join them. “We have things we need to discuss.”

Derek and Stiles watch the foursome leave together. Once they’ve rounded the corner, Derek asks, “Should we be worried about that?”

“Probably,” Stiles responds with a shrug. “How are you this morning?” He inquires suddenly, changing the subject and catching Derek off-guard.

“ _Me_? Oh, I’m fine. How are you?”

“I’m good, glad that you came over yesterday; I had fun. I particularly enjoyed your very subtle reaction to my mom bringing up what happened at the party.”

Stiles grins at him, and Derek ducks his head, cheeks flushed. “I’m so sorry about that. I guess I should’ve expected that she’d ask about it. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

His friend waves a flippant hand at him. “Don’t worry about it. I actually thought it was pretty funny.”

“Oh, great because getting grilled by your mother was such a _hilarious_ experience for me,” Derek grumbles with folded arms while Stiles laughs.

“Maybe not hilarious for _you_.” Derek frowns at him, and Stiles is quick to add, “Aww, don’t be like that. It’s not like I was much better. Discussing my sex life with my mother _definitely_ isn’t something I’m interested in doing.”

The warning bell sounds at that moment, forcing Stiles and Derek to part ways though Stiles promises to find Derek during his free period so he can bother him, and Derek rolls his eyes but can’t say he isn’t looking forward to having his company.

Stiles’ earlier comment doesn’t sink in until Derek is about halfway to his first period class. He almost drops his books at the realization that Stiles has a sex life…with _Derek_!

The idea of it is still completely unreal to the young man, but he has to remember not to get attached. Derek can’t let his feelings for Stiles change anything and, surprisingly, things really don’t change between them.

The pair hangs out the way they usually do for the rest of the week, watching movies and playing video games. Stiles doesn’t even try to touch Derek intimately, pushes at his shoulder and pats his arm good-naturedly when he makes a joke but that’s it.

Stiles seems perfectly content not taking things further, and Derek, of course, would never initiate anything between them so nothing outside of the realms of their normal friendship occurs.

By Thursday evening, Derek’s wondering if maybe Stiles is reconsidering the "friends with benefits" notion altogether.

They’re sitting in Derek’s kitchen working on homework. Cora’s out with Isaac, but Talia and Charles are in their home office looking over last-minute plans for a charity auction and dinner they’re helping to put together for cancer research.

Derek’s studying for a philosophy exam he has the next day while Stiles is pretending to work on an English paper but in actuality is throwing not-so-subtle glances in Derek’s direction.

When Stiles starts clearing his throat obnoxiously, Derek looks up from his notes to inquire, “Do you need help with your paper? I can look it over for you.”

Stiles shakes his head. “My paper’s fine. I just…” He trails off, scooting his chair closer to Derek, who gazes at him with confusion in his eyes.

The question he plans to ask dies on his lips when Stiles says, “I’ve been thinking about the noises you make right before you come.”

Derek’s face heats, and he makes a valiant effort to return to his studies as if he hadn’t been interrupted but Stiles _won’t stop talking_.

“You start gasping and saying my name and then you kind of whine when you—”

“I don’t _whine_ ,” Derek insists, his voice coming out much weaker than he originally intends. His body is growing warm, cock twitching against the zipper of his jeans when Stiles leans in to whisper in his ear.

“You do so and it’s, like, the hottest thing ever,” Stiles says, moving to place his hand on Derek’s thigh and the young man’s grip on his highlighter tightens. “I wonder if you could even stop yourself from doing it,” he muses, fingertips running over the fabric in circles.

Stiles is barely touching him, but Derek can feel his breathing start to get shallow the way it always does when his best friend is close by. Stiles’ hand is traveling between his legs and dangerously close to his crotch when Derek reminds him, “We’re supposed to be doing homework _and_ my parents are right down the hall.”

“That just means you’re gonna have to be quiet for once,” he retorts, smiling until he sees the very apprehensive look that must be covering Derek’s face because Stiles backs off a bit. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

Derek contemplates his answer. He should probably say no, suggest they get back to their work and continue this some other time when his mother and father _aren’t_ just a few doors away.

But then he notices the way Stiles’ gaze keeps flickering down to his mouth like he wants to just _take_ but is holding himself back, and Derek is so ridiculously turned on by the idea of his best friend wanting him that much.

“I didn’t say that,” Derek murmurs in response.

Stiles breathes a grateful, “ _Thank fuck_ ,” and pulls Derek in by the nape of his neck to capture his mouth in a desperate kiss. He wastes no time getting his hands under Derek’s shirt, runs them over his abs, moves up to tweak his nipples, and Derek gasps into his mouth.

Stiles pulls back with a soft chuckle, nips at his jaw before asking, “Can you be quiet for me?”

“Yeah,” Derek replies hastily. “Yes, just… _please_ , Stiles.”

Stiles nods, making quick work of unbuttoning his jeans while Derek spreads his legs further apart to give him easier access. Stiles doesn’t hesitate to get his hand into Derek’s boxers, stoking him to full hardness.

Derek pants roughly, watching with wide eyes when Stiles stops momentarily to lick his palm before taking ahold of his cock again. Stiles’ saliva mixed with Derek’s precome makes the slide easier so he picks up the tempo.

Derek buries his face in Stiles’ neck, muffling his whimpers and gasps. He’s so wound up he can feel himself getting close to release already.

“Sometime soon,” Stiles begins, voice low and breathless, “I want to get you some place alone where we won’t be interrupted and take you apart with just my hands and mouth. Would you let me do that, Derek?”

Stiles is twisting his wrist with each down stroke and sweeping his thumb over the head of Derek’s dick. Between that and Stiles’ soft, heated promises of more between them, Derek’s about to lose it completely.

He moans, sinking his teeth into the soft skin of Stiles’ neck as he comes all over Stiles’ hand, some of it probably hitting the bottom side of the breakfast bar as well. Derek will clean it up later once he regains some of his senses.

Derek lets his head fall onto Stiles’ shoulder, breathing deeply. “That was risky,” he murmurs. “My parents could’ve walked in and killed us both.”

Stiles doesn’t appear the least bit concerned about the idea of getting caught. He just lifts Derek’s head to brush their noses together in a gesture that feels surprisingly _more_ intimate than the hand job he just gave Derek.

“You don’t seem to care about that though,” Derek adds, eyes closing when Stiles rests his forehead against his.

“Not particularly,” he admits with a soft laugh.

When Derek opens his eyes, Stiles is gazing at him, his warm amber eyes searching Derek’s green ones for something the young man can’t pin down or maybe doesn’t want to.

He doesn’t get the opportunity to find out what’s going through Stiles’ mind because his mother and father walk into the kitchen together, causing Derek to jerk away from him and bury his head in his textbook, positioning it so that the book hides his face from view.

Derek’s relieved that the breakfast bar is up high enough to cover the evidence of his and Stiles’ activities since they didn’t have time to clean up afterwards. He’s certain Stiles’ hand is still coated with his cum and that reminder is enough to practically melt his brain.

“You boys are still studying?” Charles inquires, opening the fridge to pull out ingredients for homemade stir-fry.

Derek doesn’t answer, still pretending to be engrossed in his philosophy book as he discretely buttons his jeans up, so Stiles responds, “Yup, human anatomy.”

Stiles winks cheekily at Derek, who drops his textbook to the countertop with a loud thump. Stiles chuckles quietly beside him and Derek glowers at his friend but there’s no actual heat behind his glare.

Talia has already started to slice up the vegetables when she questions Derek about his newfound interest in the subject of anatomy. “You’re taking an anatomy class, Derek? When did this happen?”

The young man lifts an eyebrow at Stiles as if to say, “You got me into this mess; now get me out of it” and, of course, Stiles already has an answer prepared. “Oh, he’s not taking anatomy, but I’ve always been curious about the human body and how everything ticks. Isn’t it _fascinating_ , Derek?”

“Absolutely riveting,” Derek retorts with a roll of his eyes but then gasps suddenly when he feels Stiles’ hand graze his cock. His touch is brief but still enough to put Derek’s senses on overload and make him hide his head in his arms to cover his flushed face.

“You okay, son?” Charles asks, concern evident in his tone, and Derek raises his head to answer.

“ _Fine_ , just…stubbed my toe on the bar.”

Derek breathes a sigh of relief when his father easily believes the lie. He risks a glance over at Stiles, who is looking entirely too smug for his own good. Derek’s about to suggest they continue their homework upstairs in his bedroom so he can kiss the smirk right off his friend’s face, but Talia throws a wrench in his plan.

“Can we count you in for dinner, Stiles?”

Stiles readily agrees to Talia’s invitation. “Definitely.”

He stands up from his seat and moves over to the sink to wash his hands, and Derek swallows hard, thinking back to what those hands did to him just moments earlier. “What can I do to help?”  Stiles asks innocently, flashing another grin in Derek's direction, and the young man nearly groans in response.

The two boys help Charles cut up fresh vegetables, no frozen bag of stir-fry vegetables allowed in the Hale house, while Talia cooks the steak. Once the rice is cooked and everything is set up on the table, the Hales and Stiles dig into their food.

Derek concentrates on Stiles more than he should, enjoying the way he gushes over how good the stir-fry is. He’s so preoccupied with watching his best friend that he misses his mother’s question. Hell, Derek forgets there’s anyone else in the room but him and Stiles until Talia pulls him back to reality.

“Derek, honey, have you heard one word I’ve said?” She asks, not unkindly. If anything, the older woman appears amused by her son’s very blatant gawking.

“Not really,” Derek answers honestly. He blushes, caught in the act of gazing lovingly at his friend. Stiles is too busy dishing out a second helping of food to even notice the way Derek’s staring.

Talia smiles warmly at him. “I asked if you had any plans for the weekend.”

“We’re doing karaoke,” Stiles replies through a mouthful of rice, checking into the conversation after spending several minutes stuffing his face.

Derek’s mouth drops open comically because, much like shopping, he doesn’t _do_ karaoke. Singing badly in the privacy of his home or car is one thing but belting out some cheesy ‘80s tune in front of a crowd of strangers is an entirely different story.

He retorts, “ _No_ , we’re not.”

“ _Yeah_ , we are,” Stiles counters, a grin sliding across his lips. “You said we could go to a karaoke bar, so we’re going tomorrow night. Allison and Cora have already cleared it with everyone.”

“ _Everyone_?!” Derek exclaims in disbelief. “You mean, ‘everyone’ as in—?”

“Everyone,” Stiles repeats, smile widening. “Do you _really_ think Lydia and Erica would miss out on watching you sing _Baby One More Time_?”

“Hmm, judging from all that singing I hear through your bedroom door on a daily basis, I always assumed you preferred _Toxic_ ,” Charles says thoughtfully, and Derek, who is in the middle of sipping his iced tea, chokes on the beverage, his father’s comment taking him by surprise.

Stiles and Talia burst out laughing, and the tips of Derek’s ears turn pink. “Thanks for that, dad,” he mutters, and Charles just shrugs in response.

“Your love of Britney Spears is well-documented, son; I didn’t say anything everyone sitting at this table doesn’t already know. Oh, and make sure you take video, Stiles,” he adds, and Derek’s face covers in horror.

Stiles salutes the older man. “Will do, sir.”

His parents and Stiles laugh while Derek sits back seething in his chair. He can’t believe his father of all people is actually supporting this ridiculous idea of an outing at a karaoke bar.  Derek knows one thing for sure though; _he's not going_.

*****

Derek spends the whole day on Friday trying every single excuse possible to get out of going with his friends but none of them are buying it.

“You don’t have the flu,” Cora says with folded arms.

Erica, Boyd, Cora, and Derek are supposed to meet the rest of the group in an hour. However, when Erica and Boyd arrived at the Hale house, Cora greeted the pair at the door and informed them of her brother’s supposed condition.

They find Derek lying in bed bundled up in his covers complete with a hot water bottle on his head and a bowl of soup on the nightstand next to him.

He fakes a cough and shivers a bit for effect. “Yes, I do. I can’t go out tonight; _I’m dying_.”

Boyd chuckles. “Yeah, me too…from this bad acting job you’re putting on. Come on, D, get up and get dressed.”

Erica adds, “And stop being such a dramatic, whiny baby. We’re going to a karaoke bar, not the guillotine for goodness’ sakes. We’ll sing, we’ll dance, we’ll laugh; it’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, and Stiles will be _so_ disappointed if you don’t go,” Cora reminds him with a pout. “He’ll probably spend the whole night singing _Careless Whisper_ and we can’t have that, can we?”

“Stiles would never sing George Michael,” Derek informs them, sitting up so that the water bottle falls from his head. “But he _has_ been known to start belting out Evanescence when he gets sad; I’ve heard him butcher _My Immortal_ more than once.”

The trio all make faces of distaste at this revelation and Boyd says, “ _Yeah_ , please don’t subject us to that.”

Derek knows it would be a cruel and horrible form of torture to force Stiles’ special brand of sad crooning onto his friends no matter how hilarious the stories would be afterwards. So with a heavy sigh, he pulls the covers off, revealing the fact he’s already fully dressed, and stands up from the bed.

“All right, fine, if it’ll keep Stiles from going through Evanescence’s whole catalog in one night, I’ll go, but I’m _not_ singing,” he states firmly. His friends and sister glance sideways at each other, all three of them holding back grins, and Derek scowls, repeating, “ _I’m not singing_.”

Derek’s not really expecting _The Encore Lounge_ , an all-ages karaoke bar, to be as crowded as it is, even on a Friday night. But the bar is having some promotional night which explains the mass of people filing inside when he and his friends arrive.

There are several small tables situated in front of a large stage with a big karaoke machine sitting in the middle of it and black curtains in the background. The bar, where the bartenders are diligently checking IDs, is off to the side and there are disco balls hanging from several spots on the ceiling, giving the place a kind of strange ‘70s ambiance.

The group sits down at a set of empty tables near the stage. The boys push the tables next to each other so they all can sit together without being separated. Once they’re all comfortable after placing food and drink orders, Scott surprises Derek with a friendly fist bump.

“This was a great idea, Derek.”

Derek’s eyebrows furrows and he starts to disagree, “It wasn’t—”

Allison cuts him off to say, “Stiles said we had you to thank for this get-together.”

“Yeah, bro,” Cora adds with a grin, “take credit where credit is due.”

Derek rolls his eyes before turning to glare at Stiles, pointing a finger at him. “This is _your_ fault.”

Surprisingly Stiles doesn’t snap back at him with a feisty retort; he merely shrugs, his eyes a bit sad and his voice going soft. “You know, I’m starting to think you actually really don’t like hanging out with all of us. Or maybe you just don’t like spending time with _me_.”

Derek’s mouth drops in disbelief. He thinks maybe Stiles is just trying to mess with him, hoping to garner some sympathy, but the young man seems genuinely upset.

Derek is baffled by his reaction and blurts out, “Don’t be like this, Stiles, you know how I feel about you,” not even realizing how the statement sounds until after it leaves his mouth.

Stiles stares at him, his honey-brown eyes going wide in surprise, and Derek almost considers biting his tongue hard enough to draw blood. At least then he’d be in no shape to continue this conversation.

As expected, Stiles doesn’t mince words when he abruptly questions, “How _do_ you feel…about me?”

Derek fumbles for an answer, glancing over at their group of friends for assistance, but they all turn their heads in the opposite direction, chatting with each other as if they’re _not_ hanging on to his and Stiles’ every word.

“You’re my best friend,” he finally replies, knowing it’s a safe answer that Stiles won’t try to dispute. “Of course I like spending time with you…even if it means _karaoke_ ,” he tacks on with an over-the-top shudder.

Stiles reminds him, “Hey, you’re the one who suggested it; I’m merely the innocent bystander that went along with.”

Derek snorts. “ _You_ , _innocent_? Since when?”

Stiles puts his hands up, admitting, “You got me there, but you’ve shown me on quite a few occasions recently that _you’re_ not all that innocent either.”

He lifts his eyebrows suggestively and Derek’s face turns red. It's not easy for him to hear Stiles making flippant comments about their arrangement.

Derek can’t believe it, but he’s actually grateful when Jackson speaks up, voicing his disapproval at the turn their conversation has taken. “Oh my god, _anything’s_ got to be better than listening to these two idiots flirt with each other. I’m going up; any takers?”

Danny raises his hand, standing up from his seat. “ _Me_! But only if _I_ get to choose the song.”

Jackson sighs but ultimately agrees, “ _Fine_ , though I’m probably going to regret this.”

Danny smirks in a way that clearly means Jackson most likely _will_ regret it while Boyd surprises the group by standing as well. “Let’s just get this over with,” he says, and Erica is already beside herself with glee at just the idea of her boyfriend up on stage.

“This is going to be _amazing_!” She exclaims, cell phone in hand and ready to record at a moment’s notice.

“ _Do not_ let her record this,” Jackson stresses, jabbing a finger at Erica, who sticks her tongue out at him in return, before turning to leave with Danny and Boyd.

Danny adds at the last minute, “Make sure you record this.”

His friends all give him thumbs up in response, and the trio make their way over to the side of the stage so they can select their song.

Derek, whose face has returned to its normal color, takes a sip of his soda but startles when Stiles moves in close to him to remind him, “You know I’m still picking your song, right?”

“No, you’re not,” he retorts, “because I’m not singing.”

“Of course you are,” Allison chimes in with a smile, wrapping her arms around Scott and resting her head on his shoulder. “And Scott’s going up there with you.”

Scott looks like he might argue, which surprises Derek because from what’s he seen of the couple together Scott tends to agree with whatever Allison says without putting up a fight. Predictably Scott does end up agreeing to Allison’s suggestion.

“It’ll be fun, and _I’ll_ pick the song,” he adds, narrowing his eyes at Stiles and then grinning at Derek. “So don’t worry, I won’t pick _anything_ embarrassing.”

Derek’s not 100% sure he trusts Scott’s words, but he doesn’t get a chance to question him further because Cora says, “Ooh, Isaac and Ethan will totally sing with you guys.”

“Hold on a second, how did _we_ get pulled into this?” Isaac questions, pointing between himself and Ethan, who is just as putout over the developing situation.

“Yeah, seriously. I don’t remember saying I wanted any part of this. I’m only here because Danny dragged me with him,” Ethan adds with folded arms.

“And he said he’d suck you off later,” Erica discloses with a wicked grin no doubt expecting Ethan to be embarrassed by this revelation but the young man just shrugs.

“That too.”

Lydia points out, “Oh come on, boys, you know we’re going to make you go up there anyway, so you might as well just do it together.”

Allison nods in agreement. “She’s right.”

The four guys glance at each other, a silent pact forming between them. “ _Fine_ , we’ll do it,” they reply in unison, causing the ladies to cheer and Stiles to flash Derek a warm smile which Derek returns with one of his own.

Their eyes stay locked on each other and Derek notices Stiles’ gaze becomes more heated with each passing moment. His amber eyes darken and drop down to Derek’s mouth. Stiles starts to lean into him as if he might kiss him, and Derek’s anticipation heightens, his eyes closing on their own.

He’s surprised, however, when Stiles chooses to simply rest his forehead against Derek’s and release a contented sigh.

“Thank you for agreeing to come with us. I know you don’t really like this sort of thing…even if it was _your_ idea.”

Derek opens his eyes to find Stiles grinning at him and makes an irritated noise in response. “Yes, please keep holding that against me.”

“I’ll hold something against you,” Stiles says unexpectedly, and Derek can’t help it. He bursts into laughter while Stiles bows his head, ears turning pink in embarrassment over the cheesy statement. “Pretend you didn’t hear me say that,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair.

“ _Never_ ,” Derek retorts, chuckling when Stiles nudges him with his shoulder.

The MC comes onto the stage at that moment to introduce the next act. Derek, Stiles, and their friends cheer loudly when Danny, Boyd, and Jackson take the stage. They’re singing _Bad Romance_ and Jackson looks furious even as he belts out the lyrics to the song perfectly.

Let it never be said that Jackson Whittemore backed down from a karaoke challenge even when he’s forced to sing Lady Gaga.

Danny is clearly the star of the production; he has the best voice and moves to go along with it, but Boyd is getting way more into the performance than everyone initially thought he would. Erica’s loving every minute of it, catcalling and cheering her boyfriend on.

They finish the song to cheers and applause from their friends and the rest of the audience.

When the foursome return to their seats, Scott says, “I’m sorry but I have to bust out an oldie but goodie to describe that performance. You guys were _fierce_ , especially you, Jackson.”

The group laughs while Jackson crosses his arms, actually looking a bit proud of himself. “I know,” he retorts confidently, and Lydia kisses him on the cheek.

“You were pretty hot up there, babe.”

“Almost as hot as Boyd,” Erica comments, wrapping her arms around him.

“You may have a future as a Lady Gaga impersonator,” Cora jokes.

“I totally look the part, right?” Boyd asks, gesturing at himself as if he remotely favors the pop singer and his friends laugh.

“You were amazing,” Ethan tells Danny, who grins at his boyfriend.

“Thanks. I tried my best _not_ to upstage these two,” he points to Jackson and Boyd, “but sometimes I just can’t help myself. You know talent like mine can’t be matched.”

“Oh, really?” Allison says, standing up at this point and motioning for the rest of the girls to join her. “Come on, ladies, let’s show them how it’s done.”

The guys watch the four females leave to choose their song, and Isaac comments, “Well, this should be interesting.”

Scott agrees, “Oh, most definitely.”

While Derek’s intrigued by what the girls have planned, he’s also nervous about having to get up on stage to perform. He should really leave while the rest of the group is distracted.

Derek’s about to try to sneak off, but as if he reads Derek’s mind, Stiles says, “Don’t even try it, Derek; you’re not getting out of this, so you might as well prepare yourself because you’re going next.”

“You _really_ don’t want to hear me sing,” Derek insists but Stiles disagrees.

“Oh but I do. Don’t disappoint me, Hale.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

The pair grins at each other until the host for the evening introduces the ladies onto the stage. They’re performing their own version of Little Mix’s _Salute_.

Each of the ladies has their own stand-out part of the song, and the girls get the whole crowd up on their feet dancing and cheering them on. By the time they finish, the crowd is louder than ever, showering the girls with applause.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jackson states when the ladies return their seats, and the rest of the guys concur.

“Agreed.”

Derek adds, “In fact, that performance was _so_ good I don’t think anyone could follow it up, so we shouldn’t even bother going—”

The group cut Derek off with a flurry of protests, and Scott and Isaac proceed to drag him away, with Ethan reluctantly trailing behind them, so they can choose their song.

Derek wants to be upset about the fact he’s being forced to participate, but the pleased grin on Stiles’ face as he waves at him makes the ordeal worth the aggravation and embarrassment. At least until he finds out what song Scott wants them to sing.

“ _No_ ,” Derek states in a firm voice.

Scott’s eyes do that puppy dog thing again as he inquires, “What? Why not? It’s an awesome song.”

Derek exclaims, “ _From a children’s movie_!”

“ _Hey_ , that song from a children’s movie won an _Academy Award_ , by the way,” Isaac reminds him.

Ethan adds, “Yeah, that _plus_ Stiles will love it.”

Derek asks, “What does that have to do with anything?”

The trio share a look before Scott says, “ _Dude_ , we have eyes. We _know_ you’re into Stiles.”

Derek blushes, stammering as he speaks. “I…I’m not…”

The guys all lift questioning eyebrows at him, forcing Derek to admit, “Even if I am, it doesn’t mean anything because Stiles doesn’t feel that way about me.”

Almost as soon as he finishes speaking, Isaac rolls his eyes. “ _Oh right_ , Stiles isn’t into you _at all_ , says the man who’s having sex with him on a regular basis.”

Derek’s flushed skin turns pale white after Isaac’s reveal. It’s not that Derek didn’t think Stiles would tell his close friends about their arrangement but that still doesn’t make it any less mortifying to hear out loud.

“It’s not like that. It’s not serious,” he insists, and Stiles’ friends almost look sorry for him.

Scott turns to his other two companions to inquire, “Were Allison and me _this_ clueless before we got together?”

“Don’t get me wrong, you guys were bad, but _these two_ …there are _no_ words for the level of thick-headedness we’re dealing with right now,” Isaac says with a shake of his head, and Derek frowns.

“Guys, leave him alone,” Ethan tells them. “Derek’s got to deal with this the best way he knows how…even if that means _not_ dealing with it.”

Scott and Isaac reluctantly agree while Derek can only stare between the trio with wide, disbelieving eyes. He wonders if maybe Stiles needs new friends because they obviously don’t know him that well if they actually believe there’s more between them than just casual sex.  Derek knows Stiles would tell him if he had feelings for him that go beyond friendship.

Derek can’t dwell on the subject though because they’re being called to the stage. When they get up there, Derek immediately spots Stiles in the crowd; he’s cheering harder than anyone else and Derek can’t help grinning.

Once the opening notes of the song begin and it’s revealed that the four guys are singing _Let It Go_ from _Frozen_ , the cheers gets even louder.

Though he feels foolish up there singing a children’s song, Derek, surprisingly, doesn’t flub his part. When he manages to catch Stiles’ eye, his best friend is smiling warmly at him, and Derek suddenly doesn’t feel so embarrassed. He and the other guys take bows once they finish up the song to a round of applause from the audience.

When the guys get back to their seats, Derek notices Stiles has left and is confused by his abrupt departure. While the rest of the group are laughing and joking about the boys’ _Frozen_ performance, Derek turns to Lydia to ask, “Where’s Stiles?”

“I don’t know,” she responds, standing up from her to chair to try and spot him. “I didn’t even see him leave. I was too into you guys’ performance. You gave Idina Menzel a run for her money.”

“Yeah, sure.” Derek chuckles, but his face falls suddenly. He’s still wondering where Stiles could have gone and what happened that would make him leave. Derek finds himself asking, “Stiles didn’t say where he was going?”

Lydia shakes her head. “No, but there’s no reason to be worried. He probably just went to the bathroom or something.”

Derek’s about to agree when Stiles appears on stage with a mic in hand and ready to sing. Derek’s mouth drops open in surprise while his group of friends burst into raucous cheers and applause.

“Apparently he went with the ‘or something’ option,” Lydia jokes, but Derek barely hears her; he only has eyes for Stiles, who finds Derek in the crowd and flashes him a smile before his song starts up. Derek’s not expecting Stiles to sing Wings’ _Silly Love Songs_ …or for him to hold his gaze throughout most of the performance.

The audience loves Stiles, cheering and singing along with him, but instead of playing to the crowd, he seems content to focus solely on Derek.

Erica nudges Derek with her elbow, whispering as she asks, “ _Now_ do you get it?”

Derek swallows hard, watches as Stiles concludes the song and soaks up the applause from the crowd, before responding, “Get what? It’s…It’s just a song. Stiles was just…singing a song. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Derek’s weak attempt to explain away Stiles’ performance is met with a severe eye roll and a deep sigh from Erica. She mutters, “ _Unbelievable_ ” just as Stiles slides back into his seat.

Stiles graciously accepts his friends’ praise and admiration before turning to Derek to inquire, “So, what did you think?”

“It was great,” Derek replies, avoiding his friend’s gaze. “The crowd was really into it.”

“Did you like the song?” Stiles asks, his tone pitched deeper than usual, and Derek nods, clearing his throat before answering.

“It’s Paul McCartney. What’s not to like?”

Stiles stares at him, frustration apparent on his face as he says, “That’s not what I—”

His sentence is cut off by Danny.  The young man is unaware of the fact that Stiles and Derek are in the middle of a conversation when he playfully claps Derek on the shoulder and starts to speak.

“Me, Jackson, and Boyd are going back up together. This time I thought we’d do a little Britney and according to Stiles, you’re a fan so you’re more than welcome to join us.”

Derek doesn’t even get the chance to answer Danny because Stiles does it for him. “He’s busy.”

Stiles takes Derek’s hand in his. He shocks Derek by pulling him out of his chair and leading him away from their friends, who all glance at each other but don’t say a word to stop them.

When they get to a hallway in a deserted part of the bar, Stiles backs Derek against the wall and kisses him. His hands roam down Derek’s body, squeezing his ass, and causing Derek’s mouth to fall open in a soft moan and for Stiles’ tongue to lick its way inside.

Stiles drops down to the floor in front of him, reaching for Derek’s belt buckle, while Derek breathes heavily, watching the display with hungry eyes.

Though Derek is half out of his mind with lust and want, he does manage to find enough sense to remind Stiles where they are and that they should probably stop before this goes any further.

“We’re…We’re out in public,” Derek says through clenched teeth as Stiles starts to mouth at his growing erection through his underwear, getting the fabric damp with his saliva and Derek’s precome.

Derek makes another attempt to protest, but his words are breathy and come out more as pathetic whimpers than anything else. “We could get arrested for…goddamn it, _Stiles_ , your _fucking mouth_ …”

Stiles wraps his lips around Derek’s dick; it’s warm and wet and perfect, and Derek’s knees feel like they’re about to give out. He desperately tries to find something to hold onto as Stiles runs his tongue across the underside of his dick and sucks on the tip while jerking Derek with one hand.

When Stiles’ other hand reaches around to press a slick digit against Derek’s hole, the young man knows he’s a goner. He chokes out a warning to Stiles, tries to push him off, but Stiles swats Derek’s hand away.

He takes Derek deeper into his mouth, groaning as he does so like Stiles might come just from going down on Derek. The thought makes Derek shudder, hips jerking as he releases into Stiles’ mouth.

Derek’s still catching his breath when Stiles returns to his feet. Derek expects Stiles to start explaining himself, but when his friend doesn’t speak, Derek gapes at him.

“What was _that_ about?” Derek asks as he pulls his pants back up. He intends for his voice to come out harder than it actually does.

Stiles lets out an indignant noise at the inquiry, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. “Are you _serious_?” He questions in disbelief. When Derek fails to answer him, Stiles laughs again but this time the sound has a bit of an edge to it.

Derek watches as Stiles paces in front of him, pulls at his hair, and runs his hands over his face before turning back to look at Derek. Stiles’ eyes go soft just as they did earlier, a hint of sadness in them that just about breaks Derek’s heart.

Stiles releases a sigh before telling him, “I…I have to go. I’ll…talk to you tomorrow, Derek.”

And just like that, Stiles turns to walk away, and Derek feels the air leave his lungs. He reaches out to Stiles, calls his name weakly, but Stiles just shakes his head again.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Stiles repeats softly, even attempts to give Derek a small smile this time that looks more like a grimace before trudging away without another glance back at him.

Derek bangs his head against the wall, wondering how he could _possibly_ be this stupid. It’s been right there in front of his face the _whole time_ , but he’s just been too much of a coward to acknowledge it.

Derek had been so afraid of losing Stiles if he confessed his feelings, he had no clue he’d end up losing the young man for doing just the opposite, for not speaking up when he should have. Now Stiles is gone and Derek’s not sure he’ll ever get him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys don't manage to find me with spears and pitchforks in hand, I will have the last (!!!) chapter up as soon as possible!


	9. Derek Finds His Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a little nudging from their friends, Derek and Stiles meet up to talk after the disaster at the karaoke bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so incredibly sorry that it took me so long to update. Life sort of got in the way for a little while but once things got settled I could get this finished. I hope you guys like it and as always your kudos and comments are very much appreciated.

The following afternoon Derek’s still in bed, refusing to leave the safety of his comforter cocoon. He screwed up, _royally_ screwed up, by not telling Stiles he’s in love with him and for playing dumb all this time like he couldn’t see how much Stiles cared for him too.

Maybe he just didn’t want to see it. Maybe Derek thought he’d find some way to mess things up between him and Stiles if he gave in to the obvious feelings between them.

“That’s a copout and you know it,” Laura says, and Derek grumbles from under the covers, unable to disagree with her.

Cora is sitting next to him on the bed with her cell in hand and Laura on speaker phone. Derek flat-out refused to call their older sister after what happened between him and Stiles. He didn’t want to hear the “I told you so” she was bound to throw at him the second he got on the phone.

Cora ignored his wishes though. She contacted Laura that morning and the two sisters, one via phone, have been camped out with Derek ever since. Initially Laura hadn’t been judgmental about the whole Stiles situation like Derek thought she would be. She expressed concern for both him and Stiles and apologized for things ending so badly between them.

But because she’s Laura and she can’t help herself, she added, “I told you this would happen,” and Derek considered hanging up on her.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Laura asks. “Spend the rest of your life hiding from Stiles?”

Derek retorts, “Sounds like a plan to me.”

He knows both of his sisters are rolling their eyes right now, fed up with his actions. His suspicions are correct when Laura says, “Cora, do me a favor and hit our dear brother for me.”

Cora responds, “On it.” Derek jumps when Cora smacks him on top of the head through the comforter, laughing as she does so. “It’s done,” she tells Laura after hitting Derek about ten times in a row.

“Thank you, Cora. Now, little brother,” Laura begins, “what you’re going to do is, you’re going to call Stiles, invite him over for dinner, and apologize for this complete _mess_ of a situation you’ve gotten yourself into. Are we clear or do I have to hop on a flight home and come knock some sense into you myself?”

Derek pouts, releasing a soft sigh. “Stiles won’t talk to me now, and I can’t really blame him. He doesn’t want anything to do with me; he hates me. He’s probably glad to be rid of me.”

He’s suddenly having visions of Stiles, laughing it up with his companions over his stupid, lovesick best friend and Derek feels like throwing up.

“ _Yeah_ , I’m not so sure about that,” Cora says, sticking her phone under the comforter for Derek to see. “Lydia sent me this picture about an hour ago.”

Derek has to squint to make it out at first, but it’s clearly a photo of Stiles, wrapped up in his own protective cocoon of blankets, stuffing his face with Doritos, and looking just as pathetic as Derek. The accompanying text from Lydia reads, _Tell Derek to get his shit together now_!

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Derek breathes, pushing the covers off and sitting up. “He’s heartbroken too?”

“You think?” His sisters inquire in unison, and Derek rolls his eyes. Though he knows they’re only trying to help, Derek kind of hates it when the two young women team up on him like this.

“Tonight’s the perfect time to fix things between you and Stiles. Mom and Dad are staying overnight in San Francisco for that charity event and I’ll be over at Erica’s,” Cora points out. “You and Stiles will have the house _all_ to yourself for the night.”

Laura adds, “That will give you _plenty_ of time to show Stiles how sorry you are for being a dumbass and almost completely ruining your relationship.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Laura,” Derek deadpans, and his sister chuckles.

“Anytime, little bro. Now, get off the phone from me, call Stiles, and then you can start setting everything up for your romantic ‘I’m sorry I was an oblivious fool’ dinner date. And make sure you don’t skimp on the food, Derek. Pizza from _Tony’s_ isn’t going to cut it.”

Derek reminds her, “But Stiles _likes_ pizza from _Tony’s_.”

“Cora, handle him, please,” her older sister says simply, and Cora swats Derek on the back of the head.

Derek cringes when they shout together, “ _No pizza_!”

He finally agrees, “Okay, all right, no pizza.”

“We’ll go to the grocery store after you call Stiles and set up a time,” Cora says.

Derek swallows hard. He wants to fix things, but he’s nervous about talking to Stiles. Despite the sad picture Cora showed him, Derek’s still worried Stiles won’t speak to him.

“Do _not_ be a wimp, Derek. Call Stiles or I’ll do it myself,” Laura warns and just the threat of his older sister potentially talking to his best friend is enough for Derek to pull himself together, grab his own phone, and place the call to Stiles.

Derek bites his lip, anxious when the phone gets to the third ring. He half-expects his call to go to voicemail when someone picks up…but it isn’t Stiles.

“ _Hey_ , Derek, how’s it going?”

Derek’s eyebrows furrow in confusion when he hears the voice over the line. He has to double-check his phone to make sure he’s dialed the right number.

When Derek sees Stiles’ name lit up across the screen, he puts the phone back up to his ear and inquires in a weary voice, “Scott, is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Scott replies brightly. “What’s up?”

“Where’s Stiles?” He questions, and Scott lets out a nervous chuckle.

“He’s…He’s…um…just give me a second.”

There’s some shuffling on the other end and when Derek listens intently, he can hear Stiles’ and Scott’s raised voices in the background.

_Stiles, if you don’t take this phone and talk to Derek, I swear I’ll show him that video of you on New Years’ Eve two years ago when you spent twenty minutes arguing with yourself over what color his eyes are!_

_**You wouldn’t**!_

_I would._

_You’re a horrible friend, Scott. You’re supposed to be on my side!_

_I **am** on your side which is why I know the **last** thing you want is to be away from Derek. I mean, look at you! It hasn’t even been 24 hours since this drama went down between you two and you’re already a wreck. Talk to him, Stiles. I’m pretty sure he’s just as lost without you as you are without him._

Silence falls over them at this point; Derek figures Stiles must be making a decision about whether or not to take his phone call. No matter what happens though, Derek will be forever grateful to Scott, Lydia, and the rest of his friends, old and new, for supporting him and Stiles.

Derek is mentally preparing himself for rejection when Stiles’ voice greets his ears. “Hi, Derek,” he says tentatively, and a smile crosses Derek’s lips. He’s relieved that Stiles didn’t just hang up on him.

“Hey, Stiles. How are you?”

Derek smacks himself on the forehead; he can’t believe he’d ask such a dumb question. How does Derek _think_ Stiles is after the mess that occurred between them the night before?

“Do you _really_ want me to answer that?” Stiles inquires, and Derek shakes his head though he knows Stiles can’t see him.

“Probably not.”

Derek’s sinking fast. If he doesn’t pull himself together, Stiles probably _will_ hang up on him and never speak to him again.

“Did you want something?” Stiles asks, skipping over the pleasantries and Derek winces at his harsh tone.

 _You_. It’d be easy, really, to let the simple word fall from his lips, but Derek doesn’t want to do things this way. He needs to tell Stiles face-to-face how he really feels about him.

Derek takes a deep breath, willing his voice not to shake as he speaks. “I wanted to ask if you could come over tonight. There are some things we should talk about that I don’t want to say over the phone, so if you could just give me a chance, I’ll tell you everything.”

Stiles is quiet, and it’s disconcerting to Derek when someone like Stiles who’s hardly _ever_ at a loss for words chooses not to speak.

“I don’t know, Derek,” Stiles responds after several minutes of tortuous silence. “Maybe we could use some time apart to figure some things out.”

“But I already have everything figured out. I just need you…” Derek considers leaving that statement open-ended but decides against it, adding, “I need you to let me explain, Stiles, please. That’s all I’m asking.”

Stiles falls silent again and Derek feels horrible knowing that he’s the reason for his best friend’s out-of-character behavior.

When Stiles fails to answer him after several minutes, Derek sighs heavily. “I’m sorry I called,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry I bothered you; I’ll leave you alone. Goodbye, Stiles.”

Derek has every intention of hanging up and going back under his covers when he hears Stiles’ voice over the speaker.

“Derek, wait! Don’t hang up!”

Derek almost drops the phone in his haste to put it back up to his ear. He shouts into the phone. “I’m here! I’m still here! I’m here,” he adds the last part in a softer tone and Stiles chuckles quietly.

“Yeah, the yelling kind of tipped me off,” Stiles jokes before adding in a more serious voice, “I’ll come over if it’s still okay.”

Derek responds, “Of course it’s okay. Would you be able to get here around seven?”

“Sure. I’ll see you then.”

“See you, Stiles.”

Derek ends the call, breathing a sigh of relief that maybe things between him and Stiles aren’t as hopeless as he thought. Now he just has the task of setting up dinner for himself and Stiles…and figuring out how he plans on telling his best friend the truth.

Right on cue, Cora tugs him out of bed and pushes him to the bathroom. “Go on, get dressed. We’ve got shopping to do.”

The pair meet up with Erica and Boyd an hour later, and it’s unreal to Derek just how invested his sibling and friends are in his relationship with Stiles that they would accompany him to a grocery store.

Of course Derek immediately regrets his decision to let them come with him when Erica refers to his date night with Stiles as “Operation: Seduce Stiles Out of His Pants.”

Erica, unsurprisingly, spends their shopping trip swiping free samples from around the store while Boyd and Cora help Derek pick out the food for his and Stiles’ dinner.

Derek decides to give Stiles what he jokingly asked for the night they all went to _Sky High_ , choosing a wonderful cut of prime rib and picking up ingredients for lobster mac and cheese.

For dessert, Derek plans to make his mother’s famous double chocolate brownies. Stiles fawns over the sweets whenever he gets his hands on a batch.

Derek, who would normally believe his choices for dinner are overdoing it a bit, wants this dinner to be perfect for Stiles. After picking up everything they need, the foursome hauls their purchases out of the store and back home to start cooking.

When they get back to the Hale house, Derek and his friends get to work. He finds his mother’s recipes and starts by putting the rib roast into the oven.

Next he throws together the mac and cheese which would be a much easier task if Cora would stop swiping pieces of lobster. Lastly he mixes up the batter for the brownies and Boyd and Erica argue over who gets to lick the bowl clean.

It’s nearly six by the time everything is cooked and ready to be eaten, and Derek has just enough time to jump in the shower and put on clothes before Stiles arrives. Erica picks out his outfit, a soft blue sweater with dark slacks, and Derek thanks her for making the choice simple and uncomplicated.

“I thought about putting you in sequins,” Erica says as she, Boyd, and Cora make their way to the door, “but to be honest, I’m not sure you could pull it off.”

Boyd disagrees, “I think he could, but what he has on works too.”

Cora places a hand to her chin as she gives her brother an onceover. “Hmm, I’m still undecided about it.”

Derek frowns, pushing the trio out the front door. “Good night, you guys and thanks for all your help,” he adds sincerely.

“Just don’t screw it up,” Erica tells him.

“What she said,” Boyd concurs, pointing to his girlfriend.

“Good luck with ‘Operation: Seduce Stiles Out of His Pants’,” Erica adds with a smile, and Derek scowls at the young woman.

“Stop calling it that!”

“Never.”

Derek rolls his eyes until his sister speaks. “You’ll be fine,” Cora says, patting Derek on the shoulder. “You and Stiles are meant for each other.”

Derek grins at her words, praying that they’re true. He waves at the departing group before going back into the house to check on the food. Everything looks good so he sits down on the couch in the living room.

He considers turning on the TV or checking his phone to give himself something to do but instead spends ten minutes rubbing his hands over his thighs and pulling at his sweater anxiously.

At twenty minutes to seven, Derek goes back to the front entrance. He opens the door, ready to step outside to get a bit of fresh air to help calm his nerves and finds Stiles pacing on the front porch. He’s clad in a gray Henley and black jeans and his hair is messier than usual, most likely from running his hands through it.

Stiles is ringing his hands and muttering under his breath as he walks back and forth, not even realizing he has company out on the porch now, and Derek wants more than ever to pull him into a kiss.

He doesn’t though; the last thing Derek wants is to ruin his chances with Stiles by jumping the young man before they’ve even had a chance to talk. So he clears his throat to announce his presence, and Stiles startles, turning to look at Derek with wide amber eyes.

“I…I’m…I’m early,” he stammers, tugging at his hair, and Derek smiles warmly at him.

He could make a joke about Stiles being eager to see him, but he’s so happy Stiles actually showed up that Derek simply takes hold of his wrist and guides him into the house.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Derek says after closing the door.

Stiles nods, a small smile crossing his lips. “Me too.” Derek’s gaze unconsciously drops to Stiles’ mouth, and he almost forgets his promise _not_ to jump the young man.

Fortunately for him, Stiles speaks again and stops Derek from doing anything crazy. “It smells really good in here. Are you cooking?”

Stiles stares at him with a perplexed expression and Derek swears under his breath.

When they made plans earlier, the pair didn’t agree to have dinner. Derek made the decision for them and from the look of confusion on Stiles’ face he wasn’t expecting them to sit down and eat while hashing out their issues.

Derek hesitates before answering, “Yeah, I did. I…I thought you might be hungry so I figured I would—”

Stiles cuts him off to say, “Cook. You cooked…for me.”

“Yeah, I did,” Derek repeats, suddenly feeling foolish for thinking that turning this into a date would be a good idea.

Derek’s close to calling the whole thing with Stiles off and telling Cora, Boyd, and Erica to come back and help him drown his sorrows in double chocolate brownies when Stiles says, “I could eat.”

“Really?” He exclaims and when Stiles nods, Derek adds, “Well, I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised since you always make it your mission to try and eat my family out of house and home when you come over.”

Stiles places a hand over his heart in mock offense. “ _I do not_!” Derek lifts an eyebrow at him and he amends, “But even if I did, is it _my fault_ that your family’s cooking is amazing?”

Derek rolls his eyes, trying to hide his grin. “I guess not.”

“Good, I’m starving. What did you make me?”

The two boys walk back to the kitchen, and Stiles lets out a gasp of surprise when he sees the table set up for a romantic dinner complete with candles and a single rose for a centerpiece. The prime rib is sliced, the lobster mac and cheese is ready to be dished out, and the brownies are cooling on the stove.

Stiles turns back to Derek, his expression warm and open. He takes a step towards him before asking, “You really cooked for me? You did all of this…for me.”

“I had help,” Derek admits honestly, but Stiles is gazing at him so intensely that Derek forgets the rest of what he wanted to say.

Stiles moves closer and places a hand on his cheek. Derek releases a sigh, closing his eyes and savoring the simple touch. He trembles a bit when Stiles runs the pad of his thumb over his lips.

“I know we have things we need to talk about,” Stiles says, voice soft and like music to Derek’s ears. “I know we do. And we _will_ talk about them but right now I really want to be with you, like, _really_ be with you,” he clarifies, and Derek’s eyes shoot open, growing large in shock.

“You…You want to…”

Derek’s rambling drifts off when Stiles leans in to brush his lips tenderly against his. When he pulls back, Derek moves in to kiss him again, but Stiles stops him, suggesting, “We should go up to your room.”

Derek swallows hard before replying breathlessly, “Okay.” He watches Stiles cross the room to blow out the candles. When Stiles returns to his side, Derek doesn’t waste another moment. He wraps his arms around the young man and kisses him.

He kisses Stiles the way he should’ve kissed him last night, slow and sweet, a gentle drag of their lips against each other that has Stiles letting out soft sighs of pleasure that are driving Derek crazy. Derek runs his tongue over Stiles’ cupid’s bow and sucks on his bottom lip. Stiles’ mouth opens, allowing Derek’s tongue to work its way inside.

“You’re sure?” Derek manages to ask between kisses. When Stiles nods in response, Derek takes his hand and tugs him towards the stairs.

They barely make it to Derek’s room before he’s kissing Stiles again. They end up falling backwards onto the bed, Derek landing on top of Stiles, and both boys burst into laughter.

“You’re always finding some way to end up on top of me,” Stiles jokes.

“Is that a bad thing?” Derek asks, and Stiles shakes his head in response.

“Not at all.”

Derek grins at Stiles and leans in to press another kiss to his lips. His hands wander to Stiles’ shirt, torn between wanting to take it off but not wanting to pull away long enough to do it. Derek compromises by sliding his hands underneath the fabric and running them along Stiles’ stomach and chest.

He circles Stiles’ nipples with his thumbs until the young man lets out a breathy gasp and pulls away to pant, “Oh my god, Derek, just _take it off_. Yours too.”

They sit up on the bed and reach for each others' shirts at the same time. Derek gets the upper hand though; he has Stiles out of his shirt and on his back in record time. He then pulls his sweater over his head, enjoying the way Stiles’ eyes rake over his body hungrily.

Stiles runs his hands over Derek’s chest several times, plucks his nipples, and Derek groans, dropping down onto the mattress so that his hands are on either side of Stiles.

“Is this okay?” He inquires, hovering over Stiles and trailing kisses along his neck and collarbone.

Stiles murmurs, “Yeah.”

Derek surprises him by closing his mouth over his pulse point, sucking on it and making Stiles moan. His hips jerk up, seeking much needed friction.

Derek grinds down into it, and they start a rhythm with their bodies. They rock against each other until they’re both close to coming in their pants and Stiles is withering beneath him.

“M…More… _please_. Derek, I need _more_ ,” Stiles begs.

Derek sits up, straddling Stiles’ thighs so he can unbuckle his belt. Stiles is still whispering for more, running his palms over Derek’s hips, and the intensity of his pleas has Derek’s hands shaking as they work to get Stiles’ jeans undone.

Stiles must notice Derek’s trembling hands because he takes them in his, intertwining their fingers. “It’s okay,” Stiles assures him, “I want you.”

“I want you too,” Derek admits, and he’s tempted to say more, how he’s always wanted Stiles, how he loves him, but he keeps his mouth shut.

He goes back to work on Stiles’ jeans, finally getting them unzipped and he moves off Stiles to slide them down his legs, leaving the young man in just a pair of black boxer briefs. Derek chucks off his own pants before sitting back on the bed; his gaze traveling down Stiles’ body appreciatively.

Stiles’ erection is visible through his underwear and the tip of it is peeking up past his waistband and Derek needs to get his mouth on it. His fingertips graze Stiles' stomach, taking extra care to trace patterns over the treasure trail leading into his boxer briefs.

“Don’t tease,” Stiles warns, eyes dark and filled with lust. “ _God_ , Derek, just… _touch me_.”

“I _am_ touching you,” Derek says with a triumphant smile, and Stiles rolls his eyes.

“And people say _I’m_ the annoying one.”

Derek points out, “You _are_ the annoying one.”

“The annoying one you cooked dinner for and who is currently sprawled out half-naked on your bed waiting for you to fuck me,” Stiles retorts smartly, cheeks turning pink after his statement.

Derek stares at him; he’s not sure why he’s surprised by Stiles’ boldness. The young man has never been one to hold his tongue, but those words coming out of his mouth might just be Derek’s undoing.

“That’s what you want, for me to fuck you?” Derek asks, voice pitched lower than usual as his hand comes down to rest on Stiles’ cock.

Stiles gasps when Derek fondles him through his underwear and thrusts up into his hand. “ _Please_ …oh, _Derek_ , I—”

Whatever Stiles wanted to say dissolves into a groan because Derek pushes the boxer briefs aside and takes Stiles’ length into his mouth.

He sucks Stiles down, his precome trickling onto his tongue, and Derek moans around him. The vibrations have Stiles lifting his hips, panting heavily, and he urges Derek on when the young man sucks on his balls.

Derek’s kind of drunk with power at this point. Having Stiles like this, shivering and begging for him, is quite an interesting experience, one Derek plans to repeat as often as possible.

As much as he enjoys having Stiles’ dick in his mouth, Derek wants to try something. He’s watched a _whole_ lot of porn in his teenage years, and he’s curious about a one particular aspect of sex.

He pulls back from Stiles, who groans in frustration until Derek asks, “Can you turn over for me?”

Apparently the implications of his question hit Stiles immediately because he quickly turns so that he’s lying on his stomach. He shoves a pillow under himself to lift his ass up and then buries his face in his arms.

Stiles’ ass is quite a sight to behold, round and supple and just waiting for Derek to get his hands, and mouth, on it. Derek can hear Stiles taking deep breaths and see him shaking just slightly as if he’s nervous.

“We can stop anytime you want,” Derek reminds him, running his hands down Stiles’ sides in a soothing motion.

“I want you,” Stiles repeats, his voice muffled but Derek still hears him loud and clear.

He moves in to press his lips against Stiles’ shoulders one at a time and then peppers kisses down his spine until he gets to the dimples in Stiles’ lower back.

Derek massages them with his thumbs before sliding his hands down the curve of Stiles’ ass. He works the heated flesh over in his hands, and Stiles sighs, arching up into his touch.

Derek allows himself a moment to enjoy spreading Stiles’ cheeks apart and watching them close back up on their own. He positions himself behind Stiles and feeling suddenly impulsive Derek takes a chance, sliding his clothed erection up and down Stiles’ ass.

He worries that Stiles might object to his actions, but Derek isn’t expecting the sharp gasp and subsequent moan Stiles releases from feeling him so close. He starts to push back against Derek, making the slide that much sweeter, and Derek groans, tightening his grip on Stiles’ backside.

“Please, Derek, _fuck me_ ,” Stiles pleads around another moan, and Derek has to stop himself from just rutting shamelessly against the young man and coming in his underwear. Like Stiles, Derek wants more too. He’ll take any and every thing Stiles is willing to give him.

Derek moves so that he has a face-full of Stiles’ behind. He spreads his cheeks again but this time Derek leans in to blow a puff of air right onto Stiles’ hole, and he jerks in surprise at the sensation.

His first few licks to Stiles’ ass are tentative, as if he’s trying to get the lay of the land. But once Derek realizes those simple kitten swipes of his tongue already have Stiles practically whimpering his name, he _goes to town_.

Derek dips his tongue inside, little sharp jabs that cause Stiles to bite at the sheets and curse up a storm. He swirls it around the tight ring of muscle, letting his tongue catch on the rim. Stiles lifts his head to cry out, rolling his hips back to get closer to Derek’s mouth.

“Lube,” Stiles breathes, letting out a startled gasp when Derek flattens his tongue against him. “We need lube _now_. _Please_ tell me you have some close by.”

Derek runs his tongue down the swell of Stiles’ ass one last time before moving to retrieve lube and condoms from the drawer of his nightstand.  He slips out of his underwear before grabbing the items he needs from the drawer. Derek is well-versed with this process, having done it to himself plenty of times.

But this will be his first time fingering someone else so he takes extra precautions, coating his fingers with a liberal amount of lube before slowly circling his index finger around Stiles’ hole.

Stiles catches him flat-footed though when he abruptly turns over onto his back so that he’s looking up at Derek again, opening his legs wider.

“Can we do it like this?” Stiles asks, looking a bit nervous as he does so. “I want to see you.”

Derek nods in agreement. “Yeah, of course, I want to see you too, see your face when I make you come.”

The young man grins, teasing, “ _Oh_ , I dare say that sounds like a challenge, Mr. Hale.”

“Not a challenge, a promise,” Derek amends, pressing just the tip of his slick digit inside Stiles, who shocks the hell out of Derek when he pushes back onto his finger, taking him in to the second knuckle without any resistance.

“It’s fine,” Stiles reassures him, grunting as he moves on Derek’s finger. “I’ve done this before… _a lot_. Most of the time I think about you, imagine that it’s your fingers…”

The young man gasps when Derek, mostly by accident, brushes his finger against Stiles’ prostate and a bead of precome forms on the head of his cock.

Derek gapes at his friend in disbelief, continuing his ministrations with his finger as he questions, “You think about me when you…when you do this to yourself?”

Stiles bites back a groan when Derek curls his finger, actively seeking out his sweet spot this time. “Yes,” he responds softly. “I think about you; I want _you_. Please just…”

"I think about you too," Derek reveals as he adds another finger, and Stiles shivers, mouth opening on a silent moan. He keeps up a steady rhythm, pushing his fingers in and out of Stiles’ hole, scissoring them as he does so.

By the time Stiles is sweaty, panting, and flushed from his cheeks all the way down from moving his body against the fingers inside of him, Derek is unbelievably hard from just watching the process.

He’s _so_ ready to be inside of Stiles that he has to give himself a squeeze to stop himself from shooting off right then and there. He calls Stiles’ name hoarsely, and the young man meets his gaze, eyes hooded with desire and biting his lip.

It’s intoxicating, watching Stiles this way, Derek wants to catalog every one of his facial expressions and the noises Stiles makes so he can think about them later.

“Are you…Can we…Would it be okay if I—”

Stiles grabs Derek’s arm, stopping not only his fingers’ movements but his rambling as well. He nods, apparently agreeing with every question Derek attempted to propose.

“ _Yes_ ,” Stiles breathes, and Derek swallows hard.

He removes his fingers from Stiles and wipes the residual lube off on the bedspread. Derek reaches for the condom and surprisingly his hands don’t fumble while opening it. Stiles watches him as he rolls the condom over his dick and slicks it with more lube.

Derek places his hands on the young man’s thighs and runs them over the smooth skin. He does it several times until Stiles drops his hands to Derek’s hips and gives them a squeeze to get his attention.

When the pair locks eyes, Stiles tells him, “Whatever’s going through that incredible mind of yours, you should just say it.”

Derek hesitates, on the verge of letting it go and pushing his feelings aside for the moment. But then he realizes why should he? The reason Derek got into this mess in the first place is because he couldn’t let himself be honest with Stiles. Well, that stops right now.

“I’m in love with you, Stiles,” he reveals. “I have been in love with you since you went on that rant about _X-Men: The Last Stand_.”

“It was a horrible movie and did a disservice to even the most casual _X-Men_ fan,” Stiles reminds him, and Derek can’t help smiling.

Stiles’ eyes widen as a realization seems to hit him. He exclaims, “That was eight years ago! You’ve had these feelings for _eight years_ and you never told me! _Derek_ …”

Stiles surprises Derek by pushing himself up into a seated position on Derek’s lap and throwing his arms around his neck, crashing their lips together.

“You’re so stupid, stupidest person I’ve ever met,” Stiles complains between kisses and Derek pulls him closer, grinning so hard his face hurts.

The moment changes from playful to sensual when Stiles starts rolling his hips against Derek, pushing back onto his cock until the tip eases inside, and they’re both letting out gasps into each others' mouths.

Derek clutches at Stiles’ hips as he moves them slowly. Stiles takes him in gradually, his body stretching to accommodate Derek’s girth, until he sinks all the way down onto his lap.

Stiles bites Derek’s shoulder, stifling a moan, while Derek is trying his best not to ruin everything by releasing inside him too quickly.

“ _Stiles_ ,” he practically whines as the tight heat of the young man’s ass engulfs him, “you…you feel… _fuck_ , this isn’t going to last very long.”

“I’m right there with you,” Stiles agrees, lifting his head from Derek’s shoulder to pant into his neck.

Neither of them is even moving yet and it still feels overwhelming. Derek’s not prepared when Stiles makes the awesome and terrible decision to start shifting his body forward and back. It’s just a languid roll of his hips but it’s enough to make Derek groan, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Derek starts dropping kisses on every part of Stiles’ body he can reach when the young man starts to rock against him at a steady pace. Stiles places his hands on Derek’s shoulders to give himself the leverage he needs to pull himself up and push back down onto Derek’s dick.

Derek doesn’t try to control Stiles’ movements. He just holds Stiles close, lets the young man control the pace. Derek grunts and grips Stiles’ sides tightly when he starts to circle his hips.

He not only loves the way Stiles’ ass clenches around him; Derek enjoys the feel of Stiles’ dick sliding between their bodies, smearing their stomachs with precome.

Stiles throws his head back, releasing a moan when the hard length inside of him must hit that perfect spot just right. “ _Derek_ ,” Stiles gasps, falling forward onto Derek’s chest, shivering as his movements begin to slow, “I can’t… _oh please_ , I’m so close.”

They tumble back onto the mattress, and Derek picks up the slack with shallow thrusts of his hips that make his dick catch on Stiles’ rim every time.

Stiles wraps his legs around Derek’s waist and runs his hands over his back. He lets out these little whimpers of pleasure each time Derek slides in, sighing and pleading for him not to stop.

Derek rests his forehead against Stiles’, whispers a silent promise to give Stiles anything, _everything_ , he wants and more, and Stiles cries out suddenly, gasping, “ _I love you_. I’m _so_ fucking in love with you, Derek; you don’t even know.”

“I love you too,” Derek murmurs, kissing him senseless until Stiles moans into his mouth, spilling all over their stomachs, and Derek finishes right behind him.

As they’re both still shivering, their bodies covered in sweat and recovering, Stiles pulls Derek into a tender kiss, tongues moving slowly against each other.

After Derek pulls out, ties off the condom, and tosses it into the trash can, he starts to get up, but Stiles protests his actions. “No, no, no, stay here. I’m not ready to move yet.”

“Stiles, we’re both sticky and kind of gross. Just imagine what it’ll be like if we wait any longer to clean up,” Derek points out. “Come on, it won’t take long if we shower together.”

At the sound of these words, Stiles bolts off the bed, herding Derek in the direction of the bathroom. “I could use a shower,” he says and Derek chuckles.

Once Derek gets the temperature of the water adjusted, they step inside together.  His shower is big enough to comfortably fit two people.

The pair stands face-to-face, initially washing their own bodies, until Stiles steps into Derek’s space. He reaches down to wrap his hand around Derek’s dick and rubs until it stiffens in his hand and Derek is breathing heavily.

“Put your hands on the wall and spread your legs for me,” Stiles demands, and Derek obeys his request, turning to lean against the shower wall, face already flushed with arousal.

He feels Stiles kneel down behind him and has to bite his arm to muffle his groan when the young man spreads Derek’s cheeks and licks at his hole without warning.

Stiles is cupping his ass, squeezing it as he runs his tongue repeatedly up and down his crack. Derek lets out a choked sob and calls out his name when Stiles’ tongue slides over his perineum.

Derek’s just about to reach for his cock when Stiles pulls back and stands up again, crowding Derek against the wall.

“We’re going to do this properly sometime _very_ soon,” Stiles begins, wrapping his arms around Derek and kissing his shoulder. “But right now I just want to try something.”

Derek practically holds his breath as he waits for Stiles to make his move. He gasps quietly when Stiles slides his erection over his ass before slipping it into the space between Derek’s thighs, right under his balls.

Stiles groans, his forehead hitting the back of Derek’s neck as he starts to thrust into the tight gap. Derek pushes back onto Stiles’ groin, matching his rhythm, and his knees nearly give out when Stiles starts jerking him off in time with each pump of his hips.

Derek reaches back to run a hand through Stiles’ wet hair as he says, “You feel so, _so_ good, Stiles. I want you to fuck me…want you to make love to me.”

The admission must catch Stiles off-guard because his rhythm stutters suddenly, and Derek can feel warm wetness that’s not from the shower spreading between his thighs and down his legs.

Stiles leans in to suck on his neck and the hand that’s on Derek’s dick speeds up its movement. When a single digit finds the space between his balls, Derek moans, his cum landing on the wall in front of him.

Stiles turns Derek back around to capture his lips in a kiss and they stay locked in an embrace even after the water starts to run cold.

Eventually Stiles and Derek make it out of the shower and change into sweats and t-shirts. They’re both famished after two rounds together, and Derek goes back down to the kitchen to heat up the food from dinner.

Once they’re curled up in his bed, plates filled with prime rib and mac and cheese and the pan of brownies sitting on the nightstand, Derek can finally ask the question that’s been on his mind since last night.

“ _So_ , when?” He inquires, and Stiles, who’s in the middle of chewing his mac and cheese, stares at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“When what?”

Derek clarifies himself, “When did you know?”

Stiles puts his plate down, but not before taking one last bite of his prime rib, and then responds, “I’ve probably been in love with you for as long as you’ve been in love with me. I just think I was too blind to even realize it, but you want to know when I finally figured it out for myself?”

Derek nods and Stiles reveals, “New Years’ Eve, two years ago. Remember? I was trying to get you to go to Jackson’s party with me but you flat-out refused?”

He remembers. Stiles had insisted they attend Jackson’s annual New Year’s bash since that was the first year he’d actually been invited. But Derek was perfectly content to stay home and watch the ball drop in _Times Square_.

It was one of the few times Derek didn’t just blindly follow after him, and Stiles had been upset. He’d gone to the party without him and Derek spent the whole night checking his phone for messages from Stiles and being generally miserable.

“I had the worst time,” Stiles confesses. “I got drunk and said some _very_ embarrassing things while intoxicated.”

Derek thinks back to the conversation he heard between Stiles and Scott earlier and can’t stop himself from asking, “What kind of embarrassing things? Things about me, about the color of my eyes?”

Stiles’ face goes red as he stammers, “How… _How did you_ …? You heard me and Scott talking this afternoon, didn’t you?”

Derek smirks. “I did. Remind me to get a copy of that video from Scott.”

The young man shouts, “ _No_!” while Derek laughs at him. “You suck,” Stiles adds with folded arms.

He shrugs in response. “I do but only if you ask nicely.”

Derek is quite proud of himself for causing the wide eyes and flushed cheeks Stiles is sporting after his retort. Stiles clears his throat before speaking again.

“So, yeah, I went to the party, had a horrible time, and realized that I didn’t want to be away from you…ever. I was too scared to tell you though because I didn’t think you’d want me. At the time, you were pushing me away—”

Derek cuts him off to say, “And I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t the best idea.”

Stiles agrees. “No, it wasn’t. I thought you didn’t feel that way about me but then after a while I realized you _did_ feel that way. You just wouldn’t admit it, so I bided my time, figured the best way to get you to own up to your feelings was to make a _very_ veiled attempt to show you how I felt.”

“The ‘we should have sex if we’re still virgins by the time we both turn eighteen’ debacle.”

Stiles runs a hand through his hair as he responds, “ _Yup_. I wanted to tell you _so freaking bad_ the night of my birthday party but things didn’t work out the way they were supposed to.”

Derek wants to kick himself because all of that was his fault. He was the one who practically threw Stiles out of bed instead of facing the obvious feelings his best friend was desperately trying to confess to him.

“And then we thought it would be a _wonderful_ idea to become friends with benefits,” Derek says and Stiles scoffs.

“Scott and Lydia were ready to kick my ass for that. They knew it would end badly.”

“So did Cora, Erica, Boyd, and Laura.”

“You talked to _Laura_ about us?” Stiles questions, biting at his thumbnail anxiously. “She’s going to kill me the next time she comes home for a visit, isn’t she?”

Derek laughs softly, intertwining their fingers. “I’ll protect you from her.” Stiles lifts an eyebrow at him, and Derek corrects himself. “I’ll _try_ to protect you from her.”

Stiles frowns at him. “Oh thanks, I feel _really_ safe now.” They both chuckle until Stiles’ eyes turn sad and he says, “And then there was last night when I sang to you _exactly_ how I felt and you _still_ didn’t want to see it.”

Derek lifts both of Stiles’ hands to his mouth and kisses them, apologizing for his very idiotic behavior at the karaoke bar.

“I know, I know, and I am _so_ sorry. I’m so sorry, Stiles. I just…I was scared. And, yeah, it sounds cliché but it’s the truth. I don’t want to lose you, and I was afraid, I’m _still_ afraid, that if we do this and something happens—”

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Stiles assures him, but Derek shakes his head.

“You can’t know that.”

“I _do_ know that,” he insists, “because I’m magical like your sidekick buddy from _Wolf’s Den_.”

“He’s not _magical_ ,” Derek states firmly. “At least it hasn’t been _confirmed_ that he’s magical, but there have been several clues throughout the show that he—”

Stiles interrupts him in the middle of his tangent about the supernatural teen drama. “Can we talk about this later?”

Derek agrees, “Sure, I can pull up some really interesting Meta for you about it.”

The young man narrows his eyes apprehensively at Derek. “ _Great_. So, as I was saying before, nothing bad is going to happen between us. You want to know how I know?”

“You’re _magical_?” Derek counters with a snort, and Stiles glares at him.

“ _No_.” He scoots closer to him and places both of his hands on Derek’s cheeks as he says, “I know because I am _completely_ in love with you, and I couldn’t see myself being with anyone else.”

“Not even my hot cousin?” Derek half-jokingly inquires.

Stiles retorts, “ _Especially_ not your hot cousin. I only want you.”

They smile at each other, and Derek feels like his heart is ready to burst with how full of love it is and it’s all for the young man sitting beside him.

“I only want you too,” Derek says and then adds in a teasing tone, “since your cousins really aren’t that hot.”

Stiles’ mouth drops open indignantly, and he swats at Derek’s arm, complaining, “You’re the worst boyfriend _ever_.”

Derek lets out a noise of disbelief and repeats the simple word in surprise. “ _Boyfriend_?”

Stiles bites his lip as if he’s nervous but appears to regain his confidence as he replies, “Yeah, _boyfriend_ ; you got a problem with that?”

Derek smiles, leans in to place a sweet kiss on Stiles’ lips before shaking his head. “Nope, not a single one.”

Stiles’ eyes have darkened and he looks as though he wants a repeat performance of what occurred earlier between them. Of course, Derek is more than happy to comply, but his phone ringing keeps the new couple from taking things further.

“It’s Erica,” Derek says after grabbing his cell off the nightstand. “And you know she won’t stop calling until I answer.”

Stiles nods in agreement. “True. You have no choice.”

Derek answers, making the mistake of putting his friend on speakerphone because he doesn’t even get the chance to address her before Erica’s blurting out, “ _Please_ tell me ‘Operation: Seduce Stiles Out of His Pants’ went off without a hitch. Because if it didn’t we have cookie dough ice cream and _The Notebook_ ready on standby.”

“ _Erica_!” Derek shouts, burying his face in his hands while Stiles laughs at his expense.

“You had a _code name_ for this? Oh, that’s _awesome_!”

The guys are surprised when they hear Lydia’s voice on the other end. “It’s not like you were any better, Stiles.”

“Yeah,” Scott agrees, jumping into the conversation, “Mr. ‘How can Derek expect me to even have a five minute conversation without jumping him?’”

Derek’s head shoots up after this statement and he grins wickedly at Stiles, whose face is bright red. “Is that right? Well, that explains why we couldn’t even get through dinner before you—”

Stiles quickly places a hand over Derek’s mouth before he can finish that sentence. “Oh my god, _stop talking_.”

Derek’s heated gaze drops to Stiles’ hand, and he shocks the young man by moving it so he can take two of Stiles’ fingers into his mouth to suck on them.

“ _Christ_ , Derek,” Stiles murmurs when Derek circles his tongue around his digits. “Do you have _any_ idea what you do to me? I really was ready to jump you in front of your parents during breakfast that day.”

“You should have,” Derek responds after popping Stiles’ fingers out of his mouth.

“I should have done a lot of things.”

Derek corrects him, “We _both_ should have.”

“Well, now we have the chance to,” Stiles reminds him, and Derek plans to say more, but Cora interrupts him.

“Oh no, if you two are planning to have sex, we really need to end this conversation.”

Jackson agrees, “Yeah, seriously. I mean, I’m happy you two stopped being idiots and got your shit together, but I have to draw the line somewhere.”

“I’ll stay on the phone,” Danny offers. “I’m curious about a few things.”

Erica says, “So am I.”

Boyd and Ethan retort in unison, “ _Yeah_ , that’s not happening.”

“We’re going to hang up now,” Allison chimes in.

Isaac adds, “Call us when you decide to come up for air.”

“We love you guys,” Lydia tells them, and the two boys smile at their friend’s kind words.

“We love you too,” they respond before ending the call.

“They’re really quite scary when they’re all together like that,” Derek comments after putting his phone aside.

“They are,” Stiles concurs, “but they’re good friends who only want the best for us, and the best person for me is you.”

“The _only_ person for me is you,” Derek tells him and Stiles grins.

 _“So cheesy_.”

Derek looks offended until Stiles grabs him and kisses him passionately. Stiles murmurs against his lips that he loves him and wants him, and Derek, as usual, hardly ever denies his best friend of what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it. I had a lot of fun with this one. I really hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at samann98.tumblr.com!


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